Impertinent

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ɪm.ˈpɜː.tɪ.nÉ™nt/
• US IPA: /ɪm.ˈpɝ.tɨ.nÉ™nt/

Origin

From Old French impertinent

Full definition of impertinent

Adjective

1. insolent, ill-mannered
• Tillotsonthings that are impertinent to us
• Jeremy TaylorHow impertinent that grief was which served no end!
2. irrelevant (opposite of pertinent)

Usage notes

Although, historically, definition 2 was the original (derived from the French below) usage; meaning gradually changed to definition 1. More recently general usage has come to, once again, incorporate definition 2. As many older speakers will consider definition 2 incorrect, avoiding the word altogether may be advisable. The construction "not pertinent" is one possible alternative.

Synonyms

Noun

1. An impertinent individual.
• Maria Edgeworthcomfortably recessed from curious impertinents----