Extravagant
/ˌɛk.strəˈvæɡ.ənt/noun
Excessive, wasteful, or unrestrained in spending, behavior, or style.
Did you know?In medieval Latin, the root behind extravagant was used for things that 'wandered outside' the normal course, and that same wandering idea also gave us the legal term 'extravagant' for out-of-bounds claims.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ters-
“to dry up; to be parched”
Latin
Latin
vagari
“to wander, roam about”
Late Latin
Latin
extravagari
“to wander beyond or outside”
Medieval Latin
Latin
extravagans
“wandering outside the usual bounds”
Old French
Old French
extravagant
“wandering beyond limits; excessive”
Modern English
English
extravagant
“excessive, wasteful, or unrestrained”
Explore more surprising origins