Dictionary

imprudence en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ɪmˈpɹuːdn̩s/

Etymology

From im- + prudence. From Middle French imprudence, from Latin imprudentia.

Meanings

1. (uncountable, usually) The quality or state of being imprudent; lack of prudence, caution, discretion or circumspection.
   • [Hamilton were to have said:] nothing but a permanent body can check the imprudence of democracy. 1861, Jonathan Elliot, Debates of State Conventions on the Adoption of the Federal Constitution, vol. I, page 422:
2. (countable, usually) An imprudent act.
   • Yes, for six months he threw all his medicines in the fire, and designedly committed all sorts of imprudences. 1891, Francois Coppee, Ten Tales:
   • He [Timothy Forsyte] had never committed the imprudence of marrying or encumbering himself in any way with children. 1906 – 1921, John Galsworthy, “Encounter”, in The Forsyte Saga, volume 1:
   • This man finally fell a victim to his diplomacies, perhaps also to his imprudences. 1903, S.C. Hill, Three Frenchmen in Bengal:
   • At about the age of twenty-three, to crown his other imprudences, he married, without improving his reduced circumstances thereby. 1753, Theophilus Cibber, The Lives of the Poets of Great Britain and Ireland (1753):
   • 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 little imprudences— 1777, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, The School for Scandal, IV.iii:

Forms

Translations (17)

kk абайламаушылық (quality or state of being imprudent) · kk абайсыздық (quality or state of being imprudent) · pt imprudência (imprudent act) · ca imprudència (imprudent act) · sv oklokhet (quality or state of being imprudent) · es imprudencia (quality or state of being imprudent) · bg непредпазливост (imprudent act) · de Nachlässigkeit (quality or state of being imprudent) · la imprudentia (quality or state of being imprudent) · bg неблагоразумие (quality or state of being imprudent) · el απρονοησία (quality or state of being imprudent) · pt imprudência (quality or state of being imprudent) · de Leichtsinn (quality or state of being imprudent) · ang unwærsċipe (quality or state of being imprudent) · kk аңғалдық (quality or state of being imprudent) · es imprudencia (imprudent act) · ca imprudència (quality or state of being imprudent)