flagrant
/ˈfleɪɡrənt/
adjective
Origin
Latin
flagrare — to burn, blaze
Overview
Meaning Now
- Conspicuously or obviously offensive; blatant.
- Notorious; scandalous.
Literal older meaning
burning, blazing
Language path
Latin → French → English
Earliest form
flagrant
Earliest period
17th century
Journey
The word derives from the Latin 'flagrare'. Its modern sense developed in English during the 17th century, drawing on the idea of a crime being 'blazing' or 'glowing' in its visibility, akin to the phrase 'in flagrante delicto' (while the crime is blazing).
Evolution
- Classical Latin
flagrans
“burning, glowing, ardent”
- Middle French
flagrant
“burning, hot”
- 17th-century English
flagrant
“glaring, notorious”
Semantic shift from literal heat to metaphorical visibility of a fault.
Connections
Word parts
flagr-
root
burn
-ant
suffix
forming an adjective indicating a state or quality
Related across languages
French
blatant
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Related to flagrant
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.