noun
debauchee; profligate; philanderer
Dated term for a person who indulges in dissipation, especially sexual promiscuity or reckless spending. Often used in literary or historical contexts. Compare with 放蕩者 (ほうとうもの), which is more common.
See also: 放蕩者
彼は若い頃、放蕩家として名を馳せた。
In his youth, he made a name for himself as a debauchee.
その小説の主人公は、財産を使い果たした放蕩家だ。
The protagonist of that novel is a profligate who squandered his fortune.
Compound of 放蕩 (ほうとう, 'dissipation, debauchery') and 家 (か, 'person, specialist'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term follows a common pattern for labeling a person characterized by a certain trait.