profligate

What does “profligate” mean?

verb.recklessly extravagant or wasteful in the use of resources.

SAT Usage

this term often appears in passages discussing themes of financial irresponsibility, environmental issues, or moral lessons about resource management. It emphasizes a sense of recklessness and a lack of foresight, distinguishing it from similar terms like "extravagant," which may not inherently carry the negative connotation of wastefulness.

Common Confusions

Profligate implies reckless wastefulness in resource use, while extravagant usually suggests lavishness that may not necessarily involve irresponsibility or waste.

Example Sentences

• His profligate spending left him deeply in debt within a year.

• His profligate spending habits led to mounting debt, forcing him to reevaluate his priorities and consider a more sustainable lifestyle to regain financial stability.

Word Parts: How to Remember “profligate”

Break “profligate” into its parts: pro- (forward, in favor of). Knowing roots like these helps you decode unfamiliar SAT vocabulary.

• Prefix: pro- forward, in favor of (Latin)