Impolite
/ˌɪm.pəˈlaɪt/noun
Not having or showing good manners or courtesy.
Did you know?Impolite comes from the same Latin root as “polish,” because *politus* meant “smoothed” or “refined,” so the word originally framed rudeness as a lack of finishing, not just bad behavior.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
politus
“polished, smoothed, refined”
Late Latin
Latin
impolitus
“unpolished, rough, crude”
16th Century
English
impolite
“not polished; lacking refinement or elegance”
Modern English
English
impolite
“not courteous or socially proper”