impertinence

[ im-pur-tn-uh ns ]

/ ɪmˈpɜr tn əns /

unmannerly intrusion or presumption; insolence.

impertinent quality or action.

something impertinent, as an act or statement.

an impertinent person.

irrelevance, inappropriateness, or absurdity.

Origin of impertinence

First recorded in 1595–1605; impertin(ency) + -ence

If you mean to insinuate that I am, I consider that you are guilty of impertinence.

Shirley |Charlotte Bront
"He approached me with familiarity, I repulsed him with ceremony," said a man of rank, alluding to an impertinence of this kind.

The American Gentleman's Guide to Politeness and Fashion |Henry Lunettes
He retreated to his neighbor's shop the tailor's, and, sitting on the step, protected it from the impertinence of morning calls.

The Cloister and the Hearth |Charles Reade
You see,” he said, cheerfully, “it was not impertinence—it was only formality.

A Young Man in a Hurry |Robert W. Chambers

Brains were held to be a prerogative of gentle blood, extra intelligence in the lower classes being almost an impertinence.

The White Lady of Hazelwood |Emily Sarah Holt

impertinence

/ (ɪmˈpɜːtɪnəns) /

disrespectful behaviour or language; rudeness; insolence

an impertinent act, gesture, etc

rare lack of pertinence; irrelevance; inappropriateness