Meanings
comparative more imprudent · superlative most imprudent
- Not prudent; lacking prudence or discretion; indiscreet; injudicious; not paying attention to the consequences of one's actions.
Here Her Majesty took a great dislike at the imprudent behavior of many of the Ministers and Readers.
1711, John Strype, Life and Acts of Matthew Parker, Archbishop of Canterbury2 more examples
‘It was a most 'imprudent thing to go up Helvellyn in such weather,’ said Fräulein Müller, shaking her head gloomily as she ate her fish.
1853, Mary Elizabeth Braddon, chapter 3, in Phantom Fortune, archived from the original on 12 Apr 2012My uncle, falling back into his absorbing contemplations, had already forgotten my imprudent words. I merely say imprudent, for the great mind of so learned a man of course had no place for love affairs, and happily the grand business of the document gained me the victory.
1864, Jules Verne, chapter 3, in Journey to the Interior of the Earth, archived from the original on 12 Apr 2012Synonyms: indiscreet, injudicious, incautious, ill-advised, unwise, heedless, careless, rash · Antonyms: prudent
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveNot prudent; lacking prudence or discretion; indiscreet; injudicious; not paying attention to the consequences of one's actions.
More synonyms by meaning
adjectivenot prudent or wise
adjectivelacking wise self-restraint
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinimprūdens“not foreseeing, ignorant”
- Middle Frenchimprudent
- Englishimprudent
From Middle French imprudent, from Latin imprūdens (“not foreseeing, ignorant”), prefix im- (“not”) + prūdens (“foreseeing, skilled, judicious”).
More words from Middle French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian неблагоразумен, необмислен
- неблагоразумен (neblagorazumen)not prudent; wanting in prudence or discretion; indiscreet; injudicious; not attentive to consequence; improper
- необмислен (neobmislen)not prudent; wanting in prudence or discretion; indiscreet; injudicious; not attentive to consequence; improper
Catalan imprudent
- imprudentnot prudent; wanting in prudence or discretion; indiscreet; injudicious; not attentive to consequence; improper
Esperanto malprudenta
- malprudentanot prudent; wanting in prudence or discretion; indiscreet; injudicious; not attentive to consequence; improper
Finnish harkitsematon, epäviisas
- harkitsematonnot prudent; wanting in prudence or discretion; indiscreet; injudicious; not attentive to consequence; improper
- epäviisasnot prudent; wanting in prudence or discretion; indiscreet; injudicious; not attentive to consequence; improper
French imprudent
- imprudentnot prudent; wanting in prudence or discretion; indiscreet; injudicious; not attentive to consequence; improper
German unklug, unbedacht
- unklugnot prudent; wanting in prudence or discretion; indiscreet; injudicious; not attentive to consequence; improper
- unbedachtnot prudent; wanting in prudence or discretion; indiscreet; injudicious; not attentive to consequence; improper
Irish aimhghlic, ainchríonna
- aimhghlicnot prudent; wanting in prudence or discretion; indiscreet; injudicious; not attentive to consequence; improper
- ainchríonnanot prudent; wanting in prudence or discretion; indiscreet; injudicious; not attentive to consequence; improper
- díchéillínot prudent; wanting in prudence or discretion; indiscreet; injudicious; not attentive to consequence; improper
- éigríonnanot prudent; wanting in prudence or discretion; indiscreet; injudicious; not attentive to consequence; improper
- místuamanot prudent; wanting in prudence or discretion; indiscreet; injudicious; not attentive to consequence; improper
- neamhchríonnanot prudent; wanting in prudence or discretion; indiscreet; injudicious; not attentive to consequence; improper
Italian imprudente
- imprudentenot prudent; wanting in prudence or discretion; indiscreet; injudicious; not attentive to consequence; improper
Latin imprūdens
- imprūdensnot prudent; wanting in prudence or discretion; indiscreet; injudicious; not attentive to consequence; improper
Māori mākū(w)are, raukeke
- mākū(w)arenot prudent; wanting in prudence or discretion; indiscreet; injudicious; not attentive to consequence; improper
- raukekenot prudent; wanting in prudence or discretion; indiscreet; injudicious; not attentive to consequence; improper
Portuguese imprudente
- imprudentenot prudent; wanting in prudence or discretion; indiscreet; injudicious; not attentive to consequence; improper
Romanian imprudent
- imprudentnot prudent; wanting in prudence or discretion; indiscreet; injudicious; not attentive to consequence; improper
Russian неосмотри́тельный
- неосмотри́тельный (neosmotrítelʹnyj)not prudent; wanting in prudence or discretion; indiscreet; injudicious; not attentive to consequence; improper
Spanish imprudente
- imprudentenot prudent; wanting in prudence or discretion; indiscreet; injudicious; not attentive to consequence; improper
Swedish oklok
- okloknot prudent; wanting in prudence or discretion; indiscreet; injudicious; not attentive to consequence; improper
Turkish basiretsiz, ihtiyatsız
- basiretsiznot prudent; wanting in prudence or discretion; indiscreet; injudicious; not attentive to consequence; improper
- ihtiyatsıznot prudent; wanting in prudence or discretion; indiscreet; injudicious; not attentive to consequence; improper
- tedbirsiznot prudent; wanting in prudence or discretion; indiscreet; injudicious; not attentive to consequence; improper
Cite this entry
imprudent. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/imprudent
“imprudent.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/imprudent. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “imprudent,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/imprudent.
Source: imprudent on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.