Standard Lemma guide

impoliteness

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The state of being impolite; incivility; rudeness.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

An impolite remark or action.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

a discourteous manner that ignores accepted social usage

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: politeness

Broader terms: discourtesy, rudeness

Narrower terms: bad manners, ill-breeding, crudeness, crudity, gaucheness

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English impolite Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Middle English -nesse English -ness English impoliteness From impolite + -ness.

Across languages

Translations

20 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: անքաղաքավարություն (ankʻaġakʻavarutʻyun) — state of being impolite
  • Chinese Mandarin: 無禮 /无礼 (wúlǐ) — state of being impolite
  • Finnish: epäkohteliaisuus — state of being impolite
  • French: impolitesse — state of being impolite
  • German: Unhöflichkeit — state of being impolite
  • Greek: αγένεια (agéneia) — state of being impolite
  • Hindi: अशिष्टता (aśiṣṭatā) — state of being impolite
  • Hindi: असभ्यता (asabhyatā) — state of being impolite
  • Hungarian: udvariatlanság — state of being impolite
  • Italian: scortesia — state of being impolite
  • Italian: maleducazione — state of being impolite
  • Polish: niegrzeczność — state of being impolite
  • Polish: nieuprzejmość — state of being impolite
  • Portuguese: impolidez — state of being impolite
  • Romanian: impolitețe — state of being impolite
  • Russian: неве́жливость (nevéžlivostʹ) — state of being impolite
  • Ukrainian: невві́чливість (nevvíčlyvistʹ) — state of being impolite
  • Ukrainian: нече́мність (nečémnistʹ) — state of being impolite
  • Ukrainian: неґре́чність (negréčnistʹ) — state of being impolite
  • Vietnamese: sự bất lịch sự — state of being impolite