different between miscreant vs outcast

English

Alternative forms

• miscreaunt (obsolete)

Etymology

From Old French mescreant (1080) "mis-believer", present participle of mescreire "to misbelieve" (modern mécroire).

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) enPR: m?s?kr?-?nt, IPA^(key): /?m?s.k?i.?nt/

Adjective

miscreant (comparative more miscreant, superlative most miscreant)

1. Lacking in conscience or moral principles; unscrupulous.
2. (theology) Holding an incorrect religious belief.

Translations

Noun

miscreant (plural miscreants)

1. One who has behaved badly, or illegally.

   The teacher sent the miscreants to see the school principal.

2. One not restrained by moral principles; an unscrupulous villain.
   • a. 1719, Joseph Addison, A Riddle of Dean Swift's verfified

     A meagre Catchpole hurries me to fail; No Miscreant, so remorseless, ever tore
     Thy Journals, Fog, or knock'd at Franklin's door

3. (theology) One who holds a false religious belief; a misbeliever.

   • That hast with knightlesse guile and trecherous train

     Faire knighthood fowly shamed

   (Can we find and add a quotation of De Quincey to this entry?)

Quotations

• For quotations using this term, see Citations:miscreant.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:troublemaker
• See also Thesaurus:villain

Translations

Anagrams

• Encratism, minecarts

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?a?tk??st/ (noun, adjective); /a?t?k??st/ (verb)
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?a?tkæst/ (noun, adjective); /a?t?kæst/ (verb)
• Homophone: outcaste

Etymology 1

From Middle English outcasten, equivalent to out- +? cast.

Verb

outcast (third-person singular simple present outcasts, present participle outcasting, simple past and past participle outcast)

1. To cast out; to banish. [from 14th c.]

Adjective

outcast (comparative more outcast, superlative most outcast)

1. That has been cast out; banished, ostracized. [from 14th c.]

Etymology 2

From Middle English outcaste, outecaste, equivalent to out- +? cast.

Noun

outcast (plural outcasts)

1. One that has been excluded from a society or system, a pariah. [from 14th c.]

   Synonyms: outsider, vagrant, exile, beggar

2. (more generally) Someone who does not belong; a misfit.
3. (Scotland) A quarrel.
4. The amount of increase in bulk of grain in malting.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:outcast

Translations

Anagrams

• acts out, cast out, outacts