Meanings
plural impertinences
- uncountableLack of pertinence; irrelevance.
- countableAn instance of this; a moment of being impertinent.
"Enough, sir! " he thundered with barely restrained fury. "Enough, I say! Once and for all I must endeavour to rid myself of you and your impertinence.
1867, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, chapter VI, in The Gambler, translated by C. J. Hogarth^(https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Gambler_(1867)/VI)1 more example
I shall not attempt to either reinforce or criticize his arguments and his conclusions, for the simple reason that I am no geologist, and that for me to express an opinion on such a matter would be a mere impertinence.
1918, James George Frazer, Folk-Lore In The Old Testament, volume 1, page 105 - uncountableThe fact or character of being out of place; inappropriateness.
- countableuncountableInsolence; impudence.
The musical has always had a lightness of touch, an impertinence that resembles gay humor.
1984 February 4, Michael Bronski, “Cats: Straight and Boring”, in Gay Community News, volume 11, number 28, page 171 more example
"Because," interrupted the actress, "I see things exactly as they are. I calculate my effects, but they do not deceive myself; you, on the contrary, live in a world of illusions, where every thing is called by such an exceedingly fine name, that it seems a downright impertinence to ascertain what it really is."
1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, pages 198–199
Synonyms & antonyms
nounthe trait of being rude and impertinent; inclined to take liberties
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Middle Frenchimpertinence
- Englishimpertinence
Borrowed from Middle French impertinence, from impertinent (“impertinent”); by surface analysis, im- + pertinent.
More words from Middle French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian неуместност, наглост
- неуместност (neumestnost)Lack of pertinence; irrelevance
- наглост (naglost)insolence
- нахалство (nahalstvo)insolence
Danish uforskammethed
- uforskammethedThe fact or character of being out of place; inappropriateness
Dutch irrelevantie, brutaliteit
- irrelevantieLack of pertinence; irrelevance
- brutaliteitAn instance of this; a moment of being impertinent
- ongepastheidThe fact or character of being out of place; inappropriateness
- ongeschiktheidThe fact or character of being out of place; inappropriateness
- onbeschaamdheidinsolence
- brutaliteitinsolence
German Unbedeutendheit, Unerheblichkeit
- UnbedeutendheitLack of pertinence; irrelevance
- UnerheblichkeitLack of pertinence; irrelevance
- UnmaßgeblichkeitLack of pertinence; irrelevance
- UnbedeutsamkeitLack of pertinence; irrelevance
- IrrelevanzLack of pertinence; irrelevance
- BelanglosigkeitLack of pertinence; irrelevance
- UnwichtigkeitLack of pertinence; irrelevance
- UnangebrachtheitThe fact or character of being out of place; inappropriateness
- UngehörigkeitThe fact or character of being out of place; inappropriateness
- Unverfrorenheitinsolence
- Unverschämtheitinsolence
- Ungehörigkeitinsolence
Greek απρέπεια, αμετροέπεια
- απρέπεια (aprépeia)The fact or character of being out of place; inappropriateness
- αμετροέπεια (ametroépeia)insolence
Irish brusaireacht, cocaireacht
- brusaireachtThe fact or character of being out of place; inappropriateness
- cocaireachtThe fact or character of being out of place; inappropriateness
- dosaireachtThe fact or character of being out of place; inappropriateness
- dradaireachtThe fact or character of being out of place; inappropriateness
- pastaireachtThe fact or character of being out of place; inappropriateness
- plucaireachtThe fact or character of being out of place; inappropriateness
- smuigíneachtThe fact or character of being out of place; inappropriateness
- tagrachtThe fact or character of being out of place; inappropriateness
- táthaireachtThe fact or character of being out of place; inappropriateness
- teallaireachtThe fact or character of being out of place; inappropriateness
Latin impertinentia
- impertinentiainsolence
Persian بی قرار, بی قراری
- بی قرار (bi qarâr)Lack of pertinence; irrelevance
- بی قراری (bi qarâri)An instance of this; a moment of being impertinent
Polish arogancja, bezczelność
- arogancjainsolence
- bezczelnośćinsolence
- bezwstydnośćinsolence
- hucpiarstwoinsolence
- impertynenckośćinsolence
- zuchwalstwoinsolence
- zuchwałośćinsolence
- impertynencjainsolence
Portuguese impertinência
- impertinênciaLack of pertinence; irrelevance
Romanian irelevanță, impertinență
- irelevanțăLack of pertinence; irrelevance
- impertinențăAn instance of this; a moment of being impertinent
Russian неуместность
- неуместность (neumestnostʹ)Lack of pertinence; irrelevance
Spanish impertinencia, impertinencia
- impertinenciaLack of pertinence; irrelevance
- impertinenciaAn instance of this; a moment of being impertinent
- exabruptoAn instance of this; a moment of being impertinent
- salida de tonoAn instance of this; a moment of being impertinent
Welsh amherthnasoldeb, amherthnasedd
- amherthnasoldebLack of pertinence; irrelevance
- amherthnaseddLack of pertinence; irrelevance
- amherthnasoldebAn instance of this; a moment of being impertinent
- amhriodoldebThe fact or character of being out of place; inappropriateness
- cam-drefnThe fact or character of being out of place; inappropriateness
- digywilydd-drainsolence
- hyfdrainsolence
Cite this entry
impertinence. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/impertinence
“impertinence.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/impertinence. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “impertinence,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/impertinence.
Source: impertinence on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.