imprudence
Americannoun
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lack of wisdom or care in the management of practical or economic affairs.
Your decisions demonstrate fiscal imprudence and shortsighted thinking.
-
lack of discretion or caution.
The whistleblower learned of the scheme through the hiring executive's imprudence.
-
disregard for one’s own interests.
His own imprudence and unreasonable conduct are what caused the second injury.
Etymology
Origin of imprudence
First recorded in 1540–50; from Middle French, from Latin imprūdentia; see origin at in- 3 ( def. ), prudence
Explanation
Imprudence sometimes gets people in trouble, because it means a lack of care or thoughtfulness. The imprudence of not wearing your gloves in the winter might result in frostbite on your fingers. A person's imprudence is her tendency to rush headlong into decisions or actions without careful contemplation. Imprudence could lead a couple to get married just a week after meeting each other or a little girl to chase a run-away ball into a busy street. The Latin root word is imprudentem means "not forseeing, unaware, or inconsiderate."
Vocabulary lists containing imprudence
A Thousand Splendid Suns
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Northanger Abbey
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Sense and Sensibility
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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.
Critics say this "financial imprudence" has drained much of the country's economic resources and created unprecedented levels of debt that have crippled the economy.
From BBC • Dec. 9, 2023
“The events of these days show the imprudence of not having further diversified our energy sources and our suppliers in the last decades,” he said last week.
From New York Times • Mar. 1, 2022
“The events of the last days show the imprudence of not having diversified our sources of energy and our providers in recent decades,” said Italian Premier Mario Draghi in parliament on Friday.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 25, 2022
This was a choice made willingly and without imprudence, grounded in the foundational values of my medical training—compassion for suffering, a desire to heal, a responsibility to mankind.
From Slate • Jun. 1, 2020
Elizabeth had frequently united with Jane in an endeavour to check the imprudence of Catherine and Lydia; but while they were supported by their mother’s indulgence, what chance could there be of improvement?
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.
