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insouciance

[in-soo-see-uh ns; French an-soo-syahns]
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR insouciance ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the quality of being insouciant; lack of care or concern; indifference.

Origin of insouciance

From French, dating back to 1790–1800; see origin at insouciant, -ance
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for insouciance

negligence, disdain, carelessness, inattention, apathy, lack, nonchalance, alienation, disinterest, disregard, inertia, insensitivity, callousness, inactivity, drowsiness, casualness, indifference, simplicity, spontaneity, familiarity

Examples from the Web for insouciance

Contemporary Examples of insouciance

  • Its insouciance with punctuation may lend the book an aura of difficulty, but in practice this is not the case.

    The Daily Beast logo
    Great Weekend Reads

    The Daily Beast

    January 22, 2011

  • No, this was “theater” pronounced with sunglasses and insouciance.

    The Daily Beast logo
    How I Found My Voice

    Carly Simon

    June 7, 2009

Historical Examples of insouciance

  • With that and a superb air of insouciance, he made shift to go.

  • A wave of his hand simulated an insouciance he did not feel.

    When the Sleepers Woke

    Arthur Leo Zagat

  • Perhaps they were affecting a little of that British insouciance you spoke of—'

    Lord Kilgobbin

    Charles Lever

  • I crave the gaiety and insouciance of Roberta's care-free Bohemians.

    Possessed

    Cleveland Moffett

  • That's the kind of man I really like, chirping his insouciance.

Word Origin and History for insouciance
n.

1799, from French insouciant "carelessness, thoughtlessness, heedlessness," from in- "not" (see in- (1)) + se soucier "to care," from Latin sollicitare "to agitate" (see solicit).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper