Miscreant — Mis cre*ant, n. [OF. mescreant, F. m[ e]cr[ e]ant; pref. mes (L. minus less) + p. pr. fr. L. credere to believe. See {Creed}.] [1913 Webster] 1. One who holds a false religious faith; a misbeliever. [Obs.] Spenser. De Quincey. [1913 Webster] Thou … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Miscreant — Mis cre*ant, a. 1. Holding a false religious faith. [1913 Webster] 2. Destitute of conscience; unscrupulous; villainous; base; depraved. Pope. [1913 Webster +PJC] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
miscreant — ► NOUN 1) a person who behaves badly or unlawfully. 2) archaic a heretic. ► ADJECTIVE ▪ behaving badly or unlawfully. ORIGIN Old French mescreant, from mescreire disbelieve … English terms dictionary
miscreant — [mis′krē ənt] adj. [OFr, unbelieving < mes (see MIS 1) + creant, prp. of croire, to believe < L credere: see CREED] 1. villainous; evil 2. Archaic unbelieving or heretical n. 1. an evil person; criminal; villain … English World dictionary
miscreant — A miscreant is literally one who does not believe in God. but by the end of the sixteenth century the word had already taken on the more general sense of ‘wretch, villain’. When Vernon and Basset quarrel, in Shakespeare’s Henry the Sixth Part… … A dictionary of epithets and terms of address
miscreant — {{11}}miscreant (adj.) c.1300, non Christian, pagan, infidel; early 15c., heretical, unbelieving, from O.Fr. mescreant disbelieving (Mod.Fr. mécréant), from mes wrongly (see MIS (Cf. mis ) (2)) + creant, prp. of creire believe, from L. credere… … Etymology dictionary
