impertinence

[ im-pur-tn-uhns ]
See synonyms for impertinence on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. unmannerly intrusion or presumption; insolence.

  2. impertinent quality or action.

  1. something impertinent, as an act or statement.

  2. an impertinent person.

  3. irrelevance, inappropriateness, or absurdity.

Origin of impertinence

1
First recorded in 1595–1605; impertin(ency) + -ence

Words Nearby impertinence

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use impertinence in a sentence

  • I thought at the moment it was some of his damned impertinence, but concluded that he had something on his mind.

    Ancestors | Gertrude Atherton
  • A dignified, modest reserve is the surest way to repel impertinence.

  • “I dare say that looked very much like a gratuitous impertinence from—the packer,” he observed.

    The Gold Trail | Harold Bindloss
  • The accused malignants, on the other hand, complained bitterly of the impertinence of meddling fanatics and hypocrites.

  • "You know quite well that nothing amuses me," said she, shrugging her shoulders with a supreme impertinence.

    The Nabob | Alphonse Daudet

British Dictionary definitions for impertinence

impertinence

impertinency

/ (ɪmˈpɜːtɪnəns) /


noun
  1. disrespectful behaviour or language; rudeness; insolence

  2. an impertinent act, gesture, etc

  1. rare lack of pertinence; irrelevance; inappropriateness

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012