Meanings
nounprotervity (countable and uncountable, plural protervities)
plural protervities
- countablerareuncountablewantonness; waywardness; petulance; peevishness
A vain and frail protervity, an envious prattling.
Samson Lennard: Of Wisdom, bk.I,ch.XXXV, 1651
Origin
- Latinprotervitas
- Englishprotervity
Latin protervitas, from protervus (“violent, wanton”).
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
French protervité
- protervitéTranslations
Italian protervità
- protervitàTranslations
Cite this entry
APA
protervity. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/protervity
MLA
“protervity.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/protervity. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “protervity,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/protervity.
Source: protervity on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.