impolitic

/ɪmˈpɒ.lɪ.tɪk/

//ɪmˈpɒ.lɪ.tɪk// adj

"impolitic" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“impolitic” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Not in accordance with good policy.

Corpus desk

Index EN-impolitic · impolitic · English

impolitic · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "I" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for impolitic
PropertyValue
Headwordimpolitic
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɪmˈpɒ.lɪ.tɪk/
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “impolitic” in English

impoliticsits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

impolitic is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ɪmˈpɒ.lɪ.tɪk/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Not in accordance with good policy.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for impolitic, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From im- + politic. The correct English form is impolitic, spelled I-M-P-O-L-I-T-I-C.

Definition

  1. 1
    Not in accordance with good policy.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how impolitic appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. On at least one such occasion, in L.N.E.R. days, I discovered later that what I had written was precisely what the authorities wanted to be said, though it would have been highly impolitic for my chief to have given me this information rather than the formal reproof that I received!
  2. Even when it was impolitic to admire, let alone name, Evagrius, his descriptions of progress in the spiritual life could not be and were not ignored […].

Etymology

From im- + politic.

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "impolitic"?
"impolitic" is spelled I-M-P-O-L-I-T-I-C. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪmˈpɒ.lɪ.tɪk/.
What does "impolitic" mean?
As an adjective, "impolitic" means: Not in accordance with good policy.
How do you pronounce "impolitic"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "impolitic" is /ɪmˈpɒ.lɪ.tɪk/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "impolitic"?
From im- + politic. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list