Miscreant
/ˈmɪs.kri.ənt/noun
A person who behaves badly or is regarded as a scoundrel.
Did you know?In medieval English, miscreant often referred to a religious unbeliever or heretic before gradually becoming a general insult for a wicked or disreputable person.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ḱred-dʰeh₁-
“To place one’s heart; to trust or believe”
Classical Latin
Latin
crēdō
“I believe, trust, or entrust”
Old French
Old French
mescreant
“Disbelieving or heretical; literally believing wrongly”
12th–13th Century
Anglo-Norman
mescreant
“An unbeliever, especially a person outside the Christian faith”
14th Century
Middle English
miscreaunt
“A heretic, infidel, or wicked person”
Modern English
English
miscreant
“A scoundrel or person who behaves badly”
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