flagacious

English

Etymology

Blend of flagitious +‎ -acious.

Adjective

flagacious (comparative more flagacious, superlative most flagacious)

1. (rare, obsolete) Alternative form of flagitious.
   • 1698 May 19: Richard Coote, 1st Earl of Bellomont, Votes of the House of Representatives for His Majesties province of New-York in America (New York: Printed by William Bradford)

     I hope Gentlemen, you will put all the Discountenance imaginable on that flagacious Crime of Pyracy, which is not only the worst sort of Robbery, but is, for the most part attended with the horrid Sin of Murder, which is a great aggravation of that odious Practice, detested by all the Civil Nations of the World.

   • 1775: Charles Whitfield, Part IV; Section IV; p. 222 The Form and Order of a Church of Christ (Newcastle upon Tyne)

     If it be for some open immorality or flagacious crime, or some capital error, which overthrow's the foundation of our faith and hope, like the errors of Hymeneus and Alexander; then the delinquent must be immediately separated from the communion of the saints, as soon as the crime charged upon him can be proved against him

   • 1811: William Duncan, Cicero's Select Orations, translated into English p. 269 footnote 37 (Sidney's Press, New Haven)

     In the debate therefore, which arose in the senate upon the merit of his negative, Cicero provoked to find so desperate a confederacy against him, rose up, and after some railery and expostulation with Mucius, made a most severe invective on the flagacious lives and practices of his two competitors, in a speech usually called in toga candida, because it was delivered in a white gown, the proper habit of all candidates, and from which the name itself were derived.

     (the original (1756) edition has flagitious)

   • 1844: John Flanedy (ed.) A Special Report Of The Proceedings in the case of The Queen against Daniel O'Connell, Esq., M.P. ... in the Court of Queen's Bench, Ireland ... on an Indictment for Conspiracy and Misdemeanour. p. 144 col. 2 (Dublin: James Duffy)

     The present parliament has been packed with the aid of the most flagacious bribery to oppress and crush the Irish nation.

     (Shaw's Authenticated Report of the Irish State Trials, 1844 p. 65 has flagitious)

   • 1868 August 10, William M. Evarts, letter printed 13 August 1868 in "Letter from Secretary McCulloch; E. A. Rollins Writes a Letter; His Resignation" Evansville Journal p. 1 col. 3

     The consequence of this is, there is no other possible mode of vacating the office thus protracted against the will of the officer during the session of the Senate, however flagacious and imperious his personal or official conduct may be except through the conditional process of impeachment.

     (Louisville Daily Journal 13 August 1868 p. 1 col. 2 and Sacramento Daily Union, 28 August 1868 p. 1 col. 4 have flagitious)