A voluptuary is a person who devotes their life to sensual pleasures and life’s luxuries. It can also be used as an adjective to describe a preference for luxury or sensuality.
The term voluptuary is a variation of the Latin word voluptarius, which translates to “devoted to pleasure.”
Terms like sensualist, pleasure-seeker, and hedonist are often used interchangeably with voluptuary.
Voluptuary is usually used as a noun. A voluptuary has an appetite for hedonism. A voluptuary might throw a party on a yacht, where fine champagne flows, then have group sex with some beautiful guests. While the word doesn’t necessarily need to have a sexual component, most commonly we think of voluptuaries enjoying sensual and sexual experiences as part of their indulgent lifestyles.
Voluptuary can also be used as an adjective, For example, you might say someone has voluptuary tastes if they prefer fine dining at Michelin-star restaurants to eating at fast food outlets. A person who regularly has sex with quality partners could be said to have a voluptuary life.
The term voluptuary has fallen out of common usage, but it was very popular in the early 20th century. The novel “Memoirs of a Voluptuary,” which details the sexual awakening of young British men, is one of the most famous publications using the word.
