The meaning of PRODIGAL is characterized by profuse or wasteful expenditure : lavish.

PRODIGAL definition: 1. spending or using large amounts of money, time, energy, etc., especially in a way that is not…. Learn more.

There are 11 meanings listed in OED's entry for the word prodigal, one of which is labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

prodigal son/daughter : a son/daughter who leaves his or her parents to do things that they do not approve of but then feels sorry and returns home — often used figuratively

1. a disobedient and irresponsible son who wastes money on a life of pleasure and later returns home to ask for his parents' forgiveness.

Dec 11, 2025 · prodigal (comparative more prodigal, superlative most prodigal) He found himself guilty of prodigal spending during the holidays. The prodigal son spent his share of his …

Definition of prodigal adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers:: prodigal /ˈprɒdɪɡəl/ adj recklessly wasteful or extravagant, as in disposing of goods or money lavish in giving or yielding: prodigal …

Giving or given in abundance; lavish or profuse: "the infinite number of organic beings with which the sea of the tropics, so prodigal of life, teems" (Charles Darwin).

You can describe someone as a prodigal son or daughter if they leave their family or friends, often after a period of behaving badly, and then return at a later time as a better person.