Where does “miscreant” come from?

Miscreant comes from Old French mescreant, the present participle of Old French mescreire, meaning to disbelieve or lack faith.

miscreant (English): Lacking in conscience or moral principles;...

Definitions

  1. Lacking in conscience or moral principles;...

Ancestry of “miscreant”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishmyscreauntReligiously false: pagan, heretical
2Old Frenchmescreant—
3Old FrenchmescreireAlternative form of mescroire
Every word from Old French mescreire →Every word from Old French mescreant →Every word from Middle English myscreaunt →