impulsivity

American  

[im-puhl-siv-i-tee] / ɪmˌpʌlˈsɪv ɪ ti /

Also impulsiveness

noun

1. the quality of being easily swayed by emotional or involuntary urges or by momentary desires, without weighing them rationally.

   Insufficient sleep may increase the potential for risk-taking by compromising decision-making and increasing impulsivity.

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Other Word Forms

• nonimpulsiveness
  noun
• nonimpulsivity
  noun

Etymology

Origin of impulsivity

impulsiv(e) ( def. ) + -ity ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

impulsivity

Between every line of Ms. Haberman and Mr. Swan’s huffing disapproval of Mr. Trump’s reckless ignorance and impulsivity is their delight in having him as a subject, a ticket to the bestseller list.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

In the published study, stimulation-seeking and impulsivity partly explained the relationship between striatal volume and psychopathy, accounting for 49.4 percent of the association.

From Science Daily ● May 10, 2026

Dementia tends to be thought of mostly as a memory-loss disease, but there are many other aspects, including disorientation, difficulty balancing, poor coordination, trouble multitasking, confusion, wandering, apathy, irritability, impulsivity, poor judgment, and social inappropriateness.

From Slate ● Jan. 26, 2026

If you decide to retire abroad, impulsivity works against you.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 31, 2025

The impulsivity of the idea had been so attractive to him twenty minutes prior, but now it seemed silly.

From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro