Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Having or characterized by many transient sexual relationships: Describes a person who has many casual sexual partners or a lifestyle involving such relationships.
   • Including or involving a wide, often indiscriminate, variety of people or things: Describes something that is mixed, varied, or not selective in its composition or associations.

Examples of Usage

• Describing sexual behavior:
  • The novel's protagonist leads a promiscuous lifestyle.
  • He was criticized for his promiscuous affairs.
• Describing a lack of selectivity or discrimination:
  • The library had a promiscuous collection of books, with no clear organizing principle.
  • The company's promiscuous investment strategy led to significant losses.

Advanced Usage

• In a biological/ecological context: Can describe non-selective mixing or interaction.
  • The virus shows a promiscuous host range, infecting many different species.
• In a figurative sense for ideas or styles: Describing a haphazard mixture.
  • The artist's early work is a promiscuous blend of several artistic movements.

Variants and Related Words

• Promiscuity (noun): The state or quality of being promiscuous.
  • The study examined the genetic basis of sexual promiscuity in the species.
• Promiscuously (adverb): In a promiscuous manner.
  • He donated money promiscuously to any cause that asked.

Synonyms

• Licentious: Lacking legal or moral restraints, especially in sexual conduct.
• Indiscriminate: Done at random or without careful judgment.
• Wanton: (Of a cruel or violent action) deliberate and unprovoked; also, sexually unrestrained.
• Haphazard: Lacking any obvious principle of organization.

Antonyms

• Selective: Characterized by careful choice.
• Chaste: Abstaining from extramarital, or from all, sexual intercourse.
• Discriminating: Having or showing refined taste or good judgment.
• Faithful: Remaining loyal and steadfast, especially in a sexual relationship.

Related Phrases/Idioms

• Promiscuous reader: A person who reads a wide variety of books without a specific focus.
  • She was a promiscuous reader, enjoying everything from classic poetry to science fiction.
• Promiscuous sharing: The act of sharing something (like data or files) widely and without restriction.
  • The promiscuous sharing of login credentials created a major security risk.

Adjective

1. casual and unrestrained in sexual behavior
   • her easy virtue
   • he was told to avoid loose (or light) women
   • wanton behavior
2. not selective of a single class or person
   • Clinton was criticized for his promiscuous solicitation of campaign money