impertinent
English edit
Etymology edit
Inherited from Middle English impertinent, from Middle French impertinent, from Old French impertinent, from Latin impertinēns; by surface analysis, im- + pertinent.
Pronunciation edit
- (UK) IPA(key): /ɪm.ˈpɜː.tɪ.nənt/
- (US) IPA(key): /ɪm.ˈpɝ.tɪ.nənt/, (rare) /ɪm.ˈpɝt.nənt/
Audio (US) (file)
Adjective edit
impertinent (comparative more impertinent, superlative most impertinent)
- Insolent, ill-mannered.
- Irrelevant, useless.
- 1664, John Tillotson, “Sermon I. The Wisdom of Being Religious. Job XXVIII. 28.”, in The Works of the Most Reverend Dr. John Tillotson, Late Lord Archbishop of Canterbury: […], 8th edition, London: […] T. Goodwin, B[enjamin] Tooke, and J. Pemberton, […]; J. Round […], and J[acob] Tonson] […], published 1720, →OCLC:
- Curious speculations, and the contemplation of things that are impertinent to us, and do not concern us, nor serve to promote our happiness, are but a more specious and ingenious sort of idleness
- 1651, Jer[emy] Taylor, The Rule and Exercises of Holy Living. […], 2nd edition, London: […] Francis Ashe […], →OCLC:
- How impertinent that grief was which served no end!
Usage notes edit
- Although definition 2 was the original meaning (derived from the French), the meaning gradually changed to definition 1. More recently, general usage has come to once again incorporate definition 2, though older speakers may consider definition 2 incorrect. The construction "not pertinent" is one possible alternative.
Synonyms edit
- See also Thesaurus:cheeky
Translations edit
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Noun edit
impertinent (plural impertinents)
- An impertinent individual.
- 1808 (date written), [Maria] Edgeworth, “Manœuvring. Chapter XII.”, in Tales of Fashionable Life, volume III, London: […] [S. Hamilton] for J[oseph] Johnson, […], published 1809, →OCLC, page 292:
- Get near fat Mr. Dutton, and behind the screen of his prodigious elbow, you will be comfortably recessed from curious impertinents.
Dutch edit
Pronunciation edit
Audio (file)
Adjective edit
impertinent (comparative impertinenter, superlative impertinentst)
Inflection edit
Inflection of impertinent | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
uninflected | impertinent | |||
inflected | impertinente | |||
comparative | impertinenter | |||
positive | comparative | superlative | ||
predicative/adverbial | impertinent | impertinenter | het impertinentst het impertinentste | |
indefinite | m./f. sing. | impertinente | impertinentere | impertinentste |
n. sing. | impertinent | impertinenter | impertinentste | |
plural | impertinente | impertinentere | impertinentste | |
definite | impertinente | impertinentere | impertinentste | |
partitive | impertinents | impertinenters | — |
French edit
Etymology edit
Learned borrowing from Late Latin impertinentem. Morphologically, from in- + pertinent.
Pronunciation edit
Adjective edit
impertinent (feminine impertinente, masculine plural impertinents, feminine plural impertinentes)
Related terms edit
Further reading edit
- “impertinent”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
German edit
Pronunciation edit
Audio (file)
Adjective edit
impertinent (strong nominative masculine singular impertinenter, comparative impertinenter, superlative am impertinentesten)
Declension edit
Related terms edit
Further reading edit
- “impertinent” in Duden online
- “impertinent” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
Romanian edit
Etymology edit
Borrowed from French impertinent, from Latin impertinens. Equivalent to in- + pertinent.
Adjective edit
impertinent m or n (feminine singular impertinentă, masculine plural impertinenți, feminine and neuter plural impertinente)
Declension edit
singular | plural | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
masculine | neuter | feminine | masculine | neuter | feminine | ||
nominative/ accusative |
indefinite | impertinent | impertinentă | impertinenți | impertinente | ||
definite | impertinentul | impertinenta | impertinenții | impertinentele | |||
genitive/ dative |
indefinite | impertinent | impertinente | impertinenți | impertinente | ||
definite | impertinentului | impertinentei | impertinenților | impertinentelor |