wanton (redirected from wantonly)

Grossly careless or negligent; reckless; malicious.

The term wanton implies a reckless disregard for the consequences of one's behavior. A wanton act is one done in heedless disregard for the life, limbs, health, safety, reputation, or property rights of another individual. Such an act is more than Negligence or gross negligence; it is equivalent in its results to an act of willful misconduct. A wanton injury is one precipitated by a conscious and intentional wrongful act or by an omission of a known obligation with reckless indifference to potential harmful consequences.

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wanton adj. 1) grossly negligent to the extent of being recklessly unconcerned with the safety of people or property. Examples: speeding by a school while it is letting out students, or firing a shotgun in a public park. 2) sexually immoral and unrestrained.

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wanton adjective careless, dissolute, froward, groundless, heedless, immoral, impudicus, intemperate, lewd, libidinous, licentious, lustful, luxuriant, unjustifiable, unmanageable, unprovoked
Associated concepts: wanton act, wanton disregard, wanton indifference, wanton injury, wanton misconduct, wanton negligence

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See also: flagrant, hot-blooded, imprudent, lascivious, lecherous, lewd, licentious, malicious, needless, obscene, outrageous, prodigal, profuse, promiscuous, prurient, reckless, salacious, suggestive, unrestrained, unruly, unscrupulous