impolite
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of impolite
First recorded in 1605–15, impolite is from the Latin word impolītus rough, unpolished. See im- 2, polite
Explanation
If you're impolite, you have terrible manners: you're rude. Small children whose parents teach them not to be impolite learn early to say "please" and "thank you." Acting disrespectful or ungracious is impolite, like when your impolite sister helps herself to the birthday cake you just made for your dad, or pushes in front of other people in line for a movie. The opposite of impolite is polite, which comes from the Latin word politus, figuratively meaning "refined or elegant," and literally, "polished." When you add the im-, you get the sense of "not" or "the opposite of."
Vocabulary lists containing impolite
Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: in-, im-, il-, ir-
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But the play, which is set in “The Wings,” a charity home for retired actresses, provides a feast for veteran thespians for whom it would be impolite to ask their age.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
But if I crossed boundaries, like being impolite, she wasn’t happy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
It seems imprudent, even impolite, not to advise caution.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 20, 2025
Conventional wisdom holds that political disagreements are no reason to be impolite.
From Salon ● Apr. 1, 2025
I disliked being hugged and had been relieved that the Courters in New Hampshire hadn’t been touchy-feely, but when Shirley reached out, I didn’t want to seem impolite.
From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
