prodigal

• adjective 1 wastefully extravagant. 2 lavish.

• noun 1 a prodigal person. 2 (also prodigal son) a person who leaves home to lead a prodigal life but returns repentant. with allusion to the parable in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 15.

— DERIVATIVES prodigality noun prodigally adverb.

— ORIGIN Latin prodigalis, from prodigus ‘lavish’.