Dictionary

insolence en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈɪn.sə.ləns/
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle French insolence, from Latin īnsolentia.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) Contemptible, ill-mannered conduct; insulting: arrogant, bold behaviour or attitude.
   • There she was, doing rude things, and saying ruder, which every body bore with the best grace in the world: then, as now, it was perfectly astonishing what people in general will submit to in the way of insolence, provided the said insolence be attended by rank and riches. 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “Chapter XVIII. The Fête.”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 133:
   • The coarseness and truth of her attack alike overwhelmed him. But her supreme insolence found him words, and he too burst forth. "Yes! and I forbid you to do it! You despise me, perhaps, and think I'm feeble. But you're mistaken. You are ungrateful, impertinent, and contemptible, but I will save you in order to save Irma and our name. 1905, E. M. Forster, Where Angels Fear to Tread, chapter 2
   • They are fond of fun and therefore witty, wit being well-bred insolence. c. 1908–52, W.D. Ross, transl., The Works of Aristotle, Oxford: Clarendon Press, translation of Rhetoric, II.1389b11, by Aristotle, →OCLC, page 636
   • all the insolence of imaginary superiority 1815 December (indicated as 1816), [Jane Austen], chapter 14, in Emma: […], volume III, London: […] [Charles Roworth and James Moyes] for John Murray, →OCLC:
2. (countable, uncountable) Insolent conduct or treatment; insult.
   • Two heavy iron chains were put about his neck, (in metal and weight different from them he bore before!) and, loaded with fetters and insolences from the soldiers, (who in such ware seldom give scant measure,) he was brought into the presence of Isaacius. 1652, Thomas Fuller, The Holy State, and the Profane State, page 442:
3. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) The quality of being unusual or novel.
   • Her great excellence / Lifts me above the measure of my might / That being fild with furious insolence / I feele my selfe like one yrapt in spright. 1595, Ed. Spencer [i.e., Edmund Spenser], “Colin Clouts Come Home Againe”, in Colin Clouts Come Home Againe, London: […] T[homas] C[reede] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

Forms

Deriveds

insolency · dumb insolence

Translations (70)

da frækhed (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · bg безо́чие (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · pl bezczelność (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · tl kahimusungan (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · sv oförskämdhet (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · be наха́бнасць (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · nl onbeschoftheid (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · de Anmaßung (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · ca insolència (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · mi toroihitanga (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · bg дъ́рзост (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · ru надме́нность (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · ro obrăznicie (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · cs drzost (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · uk наха́бство (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · nl brutaliteit (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · es procacidad (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · es insolencia (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · fr insolence (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · da uforskammethed (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · da skamløshed (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · be зухва́льства (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · ota یوز (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · sh dȑskōst (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · ja 横柄 (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · fi julkeus (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · nl onbeschaamdheid (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · bg наха́лство (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · de Unverfrorenheit (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · ru наха́льство (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · pt insolência (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · sk drzosť (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · fi röyhkeys (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · de Unverschämtheit (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · pl zuchwalstwo (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · ga borrachas (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · ota پیشانی (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · sl predrznost (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · de Frechheit (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · gv neuarrym (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · cs nestydatost (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · hi अविनय (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · uk зухва́льство (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · is ósvífni (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · de Dreistigkeit (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · bg на́глост (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · pl arogancja (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · sl nadutost (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · nb frekkhet (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · be наха́бства (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · ru высокоме́рие (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · ru де́рзость (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · tl himusong (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · ia insolentia (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · uk зухва́лість (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · pl bezwstydność (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · mk дрскост (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · sl nesramnost (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · sv fräckhet (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · cmn 蠻橫 /蛮横 (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · pl impertynenckość (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · pl zuchwałość (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · ru на́глость (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · sh др̏ско̄ст (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · cmn 粗野 (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · pl hucpiarstwo (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · hi ढिठाई (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · fo frekleiki (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · ro insolență (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude) · uk наха́бність (arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude)

insolence en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈɪn.sə.ləns/
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle French insolence, from Latin īnsolentia.

Meanings

1. (obsolete) To insult.
   • bishops, who were first foully insolenced and assaulted. 1648, attributed to Charles I of England, Εἰκὼν Βασιλική [Eikōn Basilikē = Royal Portrait]. The Pourtraicture of His Sacred Maiestie, in His Solitvdes and Svfferings:
   • ...we are bound to assert that we never heard either in his public discourses or private conversation, anything that might tend towards encouraging sedition, or anyways insolencing the government 1851, Church Wardens of Burlington, “The Church Wardens &c. of Burlington to the Honourable Society. Burlington, 28th, 1715”, in Collections of the Protestant Episcopal Historical Society, volume 1, →OCLC, page 76:

Forms