imprudence

/ɪmˈpɹuːdn̩s/

//ɪmˈpɹuːdn̩s// noun

"imprudence" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency English
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The quality or state of being imprudent; lack of prudence, caution, discretion or circumspection.

Corpus desk

Index EN-imprudence · imprudence · English

imprudence · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 10 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 imprudence
PropertyValue
Headwordimprudence
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɪmˈpɹuːdn̩s/
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “imprudence” in English

imprudenceranks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

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

Rare enough to double-check

imprudence is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ɪmˈpɹuːdn̩s/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

imprudence doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From im- + prudence. From Middle French imprudence, from Latin imprudentia. The correct English form is imprudence, spelled I-M-P-R-U-D-E-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The quality or state of being imprudent; lack of prudence, caution, discretion or circumspection.
  2. 2
    An imprudent act.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. [Hamilton were to have said:] nothing but a permanent body can check the imprudence of democracy.
  2. Ah: my dear—Madam there is the great mistake—'tis this very conscious Innocence that is of the greatest Prejudice to you—what is it makes you negligent of Forms and careless of the world's opinion—why the consciousness of your Innocence—what makes you thoughtless in your Conduct and apt to run into a thousand little imprudences—

Etymology

From im- + prudence. From Middle French imprudence, from Latin imprudentia.

This word in other languages

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 "imprudence"?
"imprudence" is spelled I-M-P-R-U-D-E-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪmˈpɹuːdn̩s/.
What does "imprudence" mean?
As a noun, "imprudence" means: The quality or state of being imprudent; lack of prudence, caution, discretion or circumspection.
How do you pronounce "imprudence"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "imprudence" is /ɪmˈpɹuːdn̩s/. 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 "imprudence"?
From im- + prudence. From Middle French imprudence, from Latin imprudentia. 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