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Added 10 October 2026

effrontery

/ɪˈfɹʌntəɹi/ noun

Latin root: effrōns Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about effrontery at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Insolent and shameless audacity.
We even had the effrontery to suggest that he should leave the country.
An act of insolent and shameless audacity.
Any refusal to salute the president shall be counted as an effrontery.

Origin

From late 17th century French effronterie, from effronté (“shameless, insolent”), from Old French esfronté, from Vulgar Latin *exfrontātus. Compare Latin effrōns (“barefaced”), from the prefix ex- (“from”) + frōns (“forehead”) (English: front). By surface analysis, ef- + front + -er + -y.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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