miscreant meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

miscreant

adj

UK, US /ˈmɪs.kɹi.ənt/

Etymology From Middle English myscreaunt, miscreaunt, from Old French mescreant (1080) "mis-believer", present participle of mescreire "to misbelieve" (modern mécroire). Cognate with French mécréant.

Lacking in conscience or moral principles; unscrupulous.

How do we get fair treatment when confronting miscreant workers sometimes means no care at all?1983 December 24, Cindy Patton, “AIDS: Putting the Pieces Together”, in Gay Community News, volume 11, number 23, page 3:

Lifestyle, Religion, Theology Holding an incorrect religious belief.

miscreant

noun

One who has behaved badly, or illegally.

The teacher sent the miscreants to see the school principal.
Thou art a Traitor, and a Miſcreant; Too good to be ſo, and too bad to liue, Since the more faire and chriſtall is the skie, The vglier ſeeme the cloudes that in it flye:1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i], page 23, columns 1–2:

One not restrained by moral principles; an unscrupulous villain.

A meagre Catchpole hurries me to fail; No Miscreant, so remorseless, ever tore Thy Journals, Fog, or knock'd at Franklin's doora. 1719, Joseph Addison, A Riddle of Dean Swift's verfified:

Lifestyle, Religion, Theology One who holds a false religious belief; a misbeliever.

Now wil the Chriſtian miſcreants be glad, Ringing with ioy their ſuperſtitious belles: And making bonfires for my ouerthrow. But ere I die thoſe foule Idolaters Shall make me bonfires with their filthy bones, […]c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act III, scene iii:
Arise thou cursed Miscreaunt, That hast with knightlesse guile and trecherous train Faire knighthood fowly shamed1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto IV”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 41:

1 more example

Before thine eyes, thou mild and blessed one, said he, half aloud, are these miscreants daring to hold their market, and trafficking in their hellish drugs1825, Thomas De Quincey, “The Love-charm”, in Quarterly Magazine, Knight: