Profligate vs Proliferate - What's the difference?

profligate | proliferate |


As verbs the difference between profligate and proliferate

is that profligate is (obsolete) to drive away; to overcome while proliferate is to increase in number or spread rapidly.

As an adjective profligate

is (obsolete) overthrown, ruined.

As a noun profligate

is an abandoned person; one openly and shamelessly vicious; a dissolute person.

profligate

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • (obsolete) Overthrown, ruined.
  • * Hudibras
    • The foe is profligate , and run.
  • Inclined to waste resources or behave extravagantly.
  • * 2013 , Ben Smith, "[http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/24503988]", BBC Sport , 19 October 2013:
    • Jay Rodriguez headed over and Dani Osvaldo might have done better with only David De Gea to beat and, as Southampton bordered on the profligate , United were far more ruthless.
  • Immoral; abandoned to vice.
  • * Roscommon
    • a race more profligate than we
  • * Dryden
    • Made prostitute and profligate muse.

    Synonyms

    * (inclined to waste resources or behave extravagantly) extravagant, wasteful, prodigal * immoral, licentious * See also

    Derived terms

    * profligateness

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An abandoned person; one openly and shamelessly vicious; a dissolute person.
  • An overly wasteful or extravagant individual.

    • Synonyms

    * (overly wasteful or extravagant individual) wastrel * See also and

    Verb

    (profligat)
  • (obsolete) To drive away; to overcome.
  • * 1840 , Alexander Walker, Woman Physiologically Considered as to Mind, Morals, Marriage, Matrimonial Slavery, Infidelity and Divorce , page 157:
    • Such a stipulation would remove one powerful temptation to profligate pennyless seducers, of whom there are too many prowling in the higher circles ;

    Synonyms

    * overcome

    Related terms

    * profligacy * profligately * profligateness * profligation

    External links

    * * ----

    proliferate

    English

    Verb

    (proliferat)
  • To increase in number or spread rapidly.
    • The flowers proliferated rapidly all spring.
  • * {{quote-book, year=2006, author=
    • , title=Internal Combustion , chapter=2 citation , passage=But through the oligopoly, charcoal fuel proliferated throughout London's trades and industries.  By the 1200s, brewers and bakers, tilemakers, glassblowers, pottery producers, and a range of other craftsmen all became hour-to-hour consumers of charcoal.}}

    Related terms

    * proliferation * proliferative * proliferous * prolific

    External links

    * * ----