| n. | 1. | The quality or state of being wanton; negligence of restraint; sportiveness; recklessness; lasciviousness. |
| Noun | 1. | wantonness - the trait of lacking restraint or control; freedom from inhibition or worry; "she danced with abandon" Synonyms: abandon, unconstraint |
| 2. | wantonness - the quality of being lewd and lascivious Synonyms: licentiousness |
WANTONNESS, crim. law. A licentious act by one man towards the person of
another without regard to his rights; as, for example, if a man should
attempt to pull off another's hat against his will in order to expose him to
ridicule, the offence would be an assault, and if he touched him it would
amount to a battery. (q.v.)
2. In such case there would be no malice, but the wantonness of the act
would render the offending party liable to punishment.