ἀκρατής
akratḗs
G193 substantive adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
Lacking self-control; unable to restrain one's impulses, appetites, or desires. The word primarily refers to an absence or deficiency of personal discipline, often with reference to bodily passions or ethical self-mastery. In some contexts, it denotes general lack of restraint or indiscriminate indulgence.
Semantic Range
lacking self-control, unable to restrain oneself, undisciplined, lacking restraint, indulging impulses, ethically uncontrolled
Root / Etymology
From the privative prefix ἀ- (a-, 'not, without') and κράτος (kratos, 'power, control, strength'). Thus, ἀκρατής literally means 'without power/control (over oneself)'. Not directly attested in earlier Greek literature, but formed according to standard patterns of Greek adjective derivation.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical Greek, related adjectives (such as ἀκρατής and ἀκρατῆς in various accents and forms) mean 'powerless' or 'weak,' but by the Hellenistic and Koine periods, ἀκρατής was used almost exclusively of lack of self-mastery, particularly in matters of bodily desires (e.g., food, drink, sexual appetite). In ethical contexts (such as New Testament vice lists: e.g., 2 Timothy 3:3), it conveys the inability or unwillingness to exercise self-restraint, contrasting with ἐγκρατής ('self-controlled', 'temperate'). English translation as 'incontinent' reflects older idiom; in modern idiom, 'lacking self-control' or 'undisciplined' is more accurate. The word is rare in the NT and Septuagint, likely due to the presence of the more frequently used positive term ἐγκράτεια ('self-control'). The semantic focus is ethical and behavioral rather than clinical or political weakness. Standard English translations may obscure the precise nuance by using archaic terms like 'incontinent.'
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from Α (as a negative particle) and κράτος; powerless, i.e. without self-control:--incontinent.
Root Family
ἀ- + κρατ- (akratḗs) — not, without control, lacking power
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| G194 | ἄκρατος | of the undiluted |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G193-01 |
ἀκρατεῖς | akrateis | ADJ.S NOM M PL |
without self-control | self-uncontrolled ones | self-uncontrolled ones | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G193-01 |
2 Timothy 3:3 | ἀκρατεῖς | akrateis | ADJ.S NOM M PL |
without self-control | self-uncontrolled ones | self-uncontrolled ones |