Fromim- +prudence. FromMiddle Frenchimprudence, fromLatinimprudentia.
- IPA(key): /ɪmˈpɹuːdn̩s/
- Hyphenation:im‧pru‧dence
imprudence (usuallyuncountable,pluralimprudences)
- (uncountable) The quality or state of beingimprudent; lack ofprudence,caution,discretion orcircumspection.
1861,Jonathan Elliot,Debates of State Conventions on the Adoption of the Federal Constitution, vol. I, page422:[Hamilton were to have said:] nothing but a permanent body can check theimprudence of democracy.
- (countable) Animprudent act.
1777,Richard Brinsley Sheridan,The School for Scandal, IV.iii:Ah: my dear—Madam there is the great mistake—'tis this very conscious Innocence that is of the greatest Prejudice to you—what is it makes you negligent of Forms and careless of the world's opinion—why the consciousness of your Innocence—what makes you thoughtless in your Conduct and apt to run into a thousand littleimprudences—
1753, Theophilus Cibber,The Lives of the Poets of Great Britain and Ireland (1753)[1]:At about the age of twenty-three, to crown his otherimprudences, he married, without improving his reduced circumstances thereby.
1891, Francois Coppee,Ten Tales[2]:Yes, for six months he threw all his medicines in the fire, and designedly committed all sorts ofimprudences.
1903, S.C. Hill,Three Frenchmen in Bengal[3]:This man finally fell a victim to his diplomacies, perhaps also to hisimprudences.
1906 – 1921,John Galsworthy, “Encounter”, inThe Forsyte Saga, volume 1:He [Timothy Forsyte] had never committed the imprudence of marrying or encumbering himself in any way with children.
(lack of prudence):indiscretion;inconsideration;rashness;heedlessness
quality or state of being imprudent
- William Dwight Whitney,Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “imprudence”, inThe Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.:The Century Co.,→OCLC.
- “imprudence”, inWebster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.:G. & C. Merriam,1913,→OCLC.
Borrowed fromLatinimprūdentia. Morphologically analyzable asimprudent +-ence.
imprudence f (pluralimprudences)
- imprudence,rashness
