imprudent

adjective

im·​pru·​dent (ˌ)im-ˈprü-dᵊnt How to pronounce imprudent (audio)
: not prudent : lacking discretion, wisdom, or good judgment
an imprudent investor
imprudently adverb

Examples of imprudent in a Sentence

It's politically imprudent to stir up such controversy during an election year. a very sweet girl, but so imprudent that no one trusts her with a secret
Recent Examples on the Web Jackson County prosecutors charged Stoff, who pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of careless and imprudent driving. Katie Moore, Kansas City Star, 15 Feb. 2024 Historians will debate how imprudent this growth model was, but they should not be distracted by the erroneous idea that things were going well in China until the United States blocked investment flows. Daniel H. Rosen, Foreign Affairs, 13 Nov. 2023 With defense spending already bulging close to $800 billion in nominal terms, various constituencies within the Department of Defense feel that their priorities are not being met; allowing nuclear weapons spending to surge would be both infeasible and imprudent. Ankit Panda, The New Republic, 24 Oct. 2023 Hopkins expressed concerns the city was setting a fiscally imprudent precedent with such a large settlement, but other council members and a representative from the city’s Law Department disagreed. Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2023 Her character is never stodgy, rigid, or prudish—actually quite the opposite—but her seemingly never-ending responsibilities are the genesis of her view that pleasure is frivolous and imprudent. Yaminah Mayo, ELLE, 14 Aug. 2023 The New York Post once reported him dead due to an imprudent, unsourced outburst on legacy media Twitter. Hannah Gold, Harper's Magazine, 11 Oct. 2022 The impulse to do something is understandable, but military action would be imprudent, even reckless. Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 20 Mar. 2023 Perhaps Daryl Morey's gamble to acquire Westbrook wasn't as imprudent as many suggest. Michael Shapiro, Chron, 15 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'imprudent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin imprudent-, imprudens, from in- + prudent-, prudens prudent

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of imprudent was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near imprudent

Cite this Entry

“Imprudent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/imprudent. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

imprudent

adjective
im·​pru·​dent (ˈ)im-ˈprüd-ᵊnt How to pronounce imprudent (audio)
: not prudent : rash, unwise
imprudently adverb

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