impetuosity

noun

im·​pet·​u·​os·​i·​ty im-ˌpe-chə-ˈwä-sə-tē How to pronounce impetuosity (audio)
-chü-ˈä-
plural impetuosities
1
: the quality or state of being impetuous
2
: an impetuous action or impulse

Examples of impetuosity in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Two centuries later, the Greek historian Polybius contrasted Roman discipline, order, and rationality with Celtic impetuosity, chaos, and passion on the battlefield. Michele Gelfand, Foreign Affairs, 22 June 2021 Meeting his current expedition partner, Børge Ousland, required another stroke of youthful impetuosity. Kelly Bastone, Outside Online, 8 Nov. 2017 His sacred vows didn’t stop Kelly from displaying the impetuosity that brands this city’s fans. Frank Fitzpatrick, Philly.com, 14 Apr. 2018 Regardless of whether fate led these men to board the train, Eastwood suggests that what drove them to act when faced with a crisis was their youthful impetuosity. Ben Sachs, Chicago Reader, 9 Feb. 2018 Not to give too much away, but Alice’s romantic impetuosity in her youth has fateful consequences that only a show as sentimentally over the top as this could happily resolve. Charles McNulty, latimes.com, 23 Oct. 2017 This president combines qualities of Shakespeare’s worst kings: the vanity of Lear, the impetuosity of Richard II, the maliciousness of Richard III. Paula Marantz Cohen, WSJ, 8 Sep. 2017 But, then again, that’s the sort of recipe favored by Donald Trump, a president who acts with impetuosity and has little time for strategy. Matt Giles, Longreads, 31 July 2017 On Friday Ms. Damrau suggested the shakiness of Elvira’s psyche through manic body movements and nervous impetuosity, bravely folding her physical performance into her singing during crucial moments. Anthony Tommasini, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2017

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

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of impetuosity was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near impetuosity

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

impetuosity

noun
im·​pet·​u·​os·​i·​ty im-ˌpech-ə-ˈwäs-ət-ē How to pronounce impetuosity (audio)
plural impetuosities
1
: the quality or state of being impetuous : rashness
2
: an impetuous act
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