Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “dissolute” come from?

Dissolute comes from Middle English dissolute, from Latin dissolutus, the past participle of dissolvere meaning "to loosen or break apart," from solvere meaning "to loosen," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European dwóh₁ meaning "two."

dissolute (English): Unrestrained by morality; Recklessly abandoned to...

Definitions

  1. Unrestrained by morality; Recklessly abandoned to...

Ancestry of “dissolute”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishdissolute—
2Latindissolutusdissolved, destroyed; discharged; abolished
3LatindissolvoI unloose, disunite, separate, dissolve, destroy;...
4LatinsolvoI loosen, untie, undo; free , release, acquit,...
5Latinsē-—
6Latinsexsix; 6
7Proto-Italicsekssix
8Proto-Indo-Europeanswéḱssix

Words derived from “dissolute”

  • dissoluteness
  • dissolutely
Every word from Proto-Indo-European swéḱs →