indulgent
/ɪnˈdʌldʒənt/
adjective
Origin
Latin
indulgere — to be kind, to grant, to allow, to concede
Overview
Meaning Now
- Having or indicating a readiness to be generous or lenient, often to an excessive degree.
- Tending to allow oneself to enjoy the pleasure of something.
Literal older meaning
tending to be kind or to forgive
Language path
Latin → Middle French → English
Earliest form
indulgent
Earliest period
late 16th century
Journey
The term is rooted in the ecclesiastical context of 'indulgence', referring to the remission of punishment for sin. By the 16th century, the meaning broadened from strictly theological forgiveness to a general quality of leniency and, eventually, to the permissive gratification of desires.
Evolution
- Classical Latin
indulgere
“to be kind, yield, or concede”
Verb base
- Late Latin
indulgentia
“forgiveness, grace, or favor”
Noun form
- Middle French
indulgent
“lenient or forgiving”
- 16th-century English
indulgent
“lenient, forgiving, or disposed to gratify”
First recorded in English usage
Connections
Word parts
in-
prefix
intensive or towards
dulgere
root
to yield or be tender
-ent
suffix
forms an adjective indicating a quality
Related across languages
French
indulgent
Spanish
indulgente
indulgent
Italian
indulgente
indulgent
Related words
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.