A person, especially a man, who behaves without moral principles or a sense of responsibility, especially in sexual matters. The novel's protagonist is a notorious libertine who spends his days indulging in hedonistic pleasures.
A person who rejects accepted opinions in matters of religion; a freethinker. During the Enlightenment, many libertines challenged the traditional religious doctrines of their time.
(historical, archaic) A person who has been freed from slavery; a freedman. In ancient Rome, a libertine could not hold certain public offices despite his freedom.