Impertinent means irrelevant or inappropriately rude and insolent, evolving from a Latin root meaning 'to pertain'.
Impertinent means not pertinent or relevant, or inappropriately rude and insolent. The word, derived from Latin 'pertinēre' (to pertain), evolved from simply irrelevant to rudely irrelevant.
| Word | impertinent |
|---|---|
| Date | May 28, 2007 |
| Type | adjective |
| Syllables | im-PER-tuh-nunt |
| Etymology | English speakers adopted both "impertinent" and "pertinent" from Anglo-French in the 14th century. Both words derive from the present participle of the Latin verb "pertinēre," meaning "to pertain." Initially, "impertinent" was used for things that are simply not relevant. Over time, it came to be used of things that are not only irrelevant but rudely or inappropriately so, and later for people who are just straight-out rude. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. |
| Examples | Clearly offended, Susan refused to answer an impertinent question about her marriage. |
| Definition | 1 : not pertinent : irrelevant 2 a : not restrained within due or proper bounds especially of propriety or good taste b : given to or characterized by insolent rudeness |
Tags: wordoftheday::adjective
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