impertinent

Inherited from Middle English impertinent, from Middle French impertinent, from Old French impertinent, from Latin impertinēns; by surface analysis, im- +‎ pertinent.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ɪm.ˈpɜː.tɪ.nənt/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ɪm.ˈpɝ.tɪ.nənt/, (rare) /ɪm.ˈpɝt.nənt/

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impertinent (comparative more impertinent, superlative most impertinent)

1. Insolent, ill-mannered.
   • 1769, Firishta, translated by Alexander Dow, Tales translated from the Persian of Inatulla of Delhi, volume I, Dublin: P. and W. Wilson et al., page 11:

     “Divine receptacle of excellence, let it not be deemed impertinent, or deviating from the rules of propriety, if I propound one queſtion which now labours in my breaſt; aſſuring me firſt, you will not let the ſceptre of true judgment depart from your right hand.”

2. Irrelevant, useless.

   Antonyms: pertinent, relevant

   • 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!

• 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.

• See also Thesaurus:cheeky

impertinent (plural impertinents)

1. 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.

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impertinent (comparative impertinenter, superlative impertinentst)

1. insolent, ill-mannered

Learned borrowing from Late Latin impertinentem. Morphologically, from in- +‎ pertinent.

• IPA^(key): /ɛ̃.pɛʁ.ti.nɑ̃/

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impertinent (feminine impertinente, masculine plural impertinents, feminine plural impertinentes)

1. insolent, ill-mannered

   Synonyms: insolent, effronté

• insolence

• “impertinent”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

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impertinent (strong nominative masculine singular impertinenter, comparative impertinenter, superlative am impertinentesten)

1. insolent, ill-mannered

• Impertinenz

• “impertinent” in Duden online
• “impertinent” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

Borrowed from French impertinent, from Latin impertinens. Equivalent to in- +‎ pertinent.

impertinent m or n (feminine singular impertinentă, masculine plural impertinenți, feminine and neuter plural impertinente)

1. impertinent