Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1300-1400
Origin: wan- 'wrongly, badly' (from Old English wan 'lacking') + towen, past participle of tee 'to pull, bring up, educate' (11-16 centuries) (from Old English teon)

wanton

 adjective
     
wan‧ton
1 deliberately harming someone or damaging something for no reason:
an act of wanton aggression
a wanton disregard for life
2 old-fashioned a wanton woman is considered immoral because she has sex with a lot of men
3 formal uncontrolled:
wanton growth
—wantonly adverb
—wantonness noun [uncountable]
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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