licentious; self-indulgent; dissolute
Describes a person or behavior that is unrestrained, indulging freely in pleasures, often with a negative moral connotation. Somewhat literary.
His licentious lifestyle eventually ruined him.
Self-indulgent behavior invites resentment from those around you.
自堕落 is a more common, everyday word for laziness and self-indulgence, lacking the literary tone of 放恣.
Standard kanji form for this word.
Variant kanji form; 恣 and 肆 are both valid but 放恣 is more common.
The word is composed of 放 (release, let loose) and 恣 (selfish, arbitrary) or 肆 (as one pleases). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the combination conveys the idea of acting without restraint.