imprudence

noun

im·​pru·​dence (ˌ)im-ˈprü-dᵊn(t)s How to pronounce imprudence (audio)
1
: the quality or state of being imprudent
2
: an imprudent act

Examples of imprudence in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
By Chelsea Leu In 1956, the poet Elizabeth Bishop worried about the imprudence and absurdity of going abroad. Chelsea Leu, The Atlantic, 30 June 2024 But the Court recognized, properly, the imprudence of creating a general right of doctors to sue whenever any loosening of any government regulation could arguably cause injury or illness that requires medical attention. The Editors, National Review, 14 June 2024 More to the point, Joffe carries on about the fiscal imprudence of the Red Line while expending no ink on the economic support such transit would offer to the city of Baltimore. Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 29 Mar. 2024 Financial imprudence is annoying in friends who ask others to cover their costs. Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2024 With investors now fretting about the timing and pace of a further tightening in U.S. monetary policy, Turkey is paying a price for its financial imprudence. Nicholas Spiro, Foreign Affairs, 14 Oct. 2014 The 2008 banking bailout protected many of the executives whose manifest imprudence created the housing crash that precipitated the financial crisis. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2023 Yet for all the cut corners and dramatic hyperbole, Bogart does at least honor his father by capturing how his spirit of fast-and-loose ebullient imprudence played out in business terms. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 2 Apr. 2023 No one lectured her on the imprudence of wielding a military-style weapon in campaign ads. Robert Draper, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2022

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of imprudence was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near imprudence

Cite this Entry

“Imprudence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/imprudence. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

imprudence

noun
im·​pru·​dence (ˈ)im-ˈprüd-ᵊn(t)s How to pronounce imprudence (audio)
: the quality or state of being imprudent

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