Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “wantonly” come from?

Wantonly comes from Middle English wantounly, meaning uncontrolledly or recklessly, though its ultimate origin remains uncertain.

wantonly (English): in a wanton manner

Definitions

  1. in a wanton manner

Ancestry of “wantonly”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishwantounly—
Every word from Middle English wantounly →