impertinence
Americannoun
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unmannerly intrusion or presumption; insolence.
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impertinent quality or action.
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something impertinent, as an act or statement.
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an impertinent person.
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irrelevance, inappropriateness, or absurdity.
noun
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disrespectful behaviour or language; rudeness; insolence
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an impertinent act, gesture, etc
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rare lack of pertinence; irrelevance; inappropriateness
Etymology
Origin of impertinence
First recorded in 1595–1605; impertin(ency) + -ence
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.
Divided by competing urges to “join in and stand out,” the dandy exaggerates style to the point of satire and social impertinence.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 15, 2026
Toney's first goal in his side's win over Brighton was nothing short of impertinence.
From BBC • Oct. 16, 2022
For her part, Ms. Pinkston likened the treatment Mr. Wright suffered on the job to the impertinence all restaurant servers endure, regardless of race.
From New York Times • Aug. 16, 2021
Milch’s characters speak with the rhythms and patterns of people raised on Shakespeare and the King James Bible, a language short on contractions and spiced with a heavy dose of Yankee impertinence.
From Salon • May 31, 2019
Her manners were pronounced to be very bad indeed, a mixture of pride and impertinence; she had no conversation, no style, no taste, no beauty.
From "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen
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.
