Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Regardless of the obligations incident to one's office or position; contrary or inattentive to duty.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective obsolete Indifferent to obligation or duty.
  • adjective obsolete Not officious; not civil or attentive.
  • adjective (Law) Regardless of natural obligation; contrary to natural duty; unkind; -- commonly said of a testament made without regard to natural obligation, or by which a child is unjustly deprived of inheritance.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective obsolete Indifferent to obligation or duty.
  • adjective obsolete Not officious; not civil or attentive.
  • adjective obsolete, law Contrary to one's natural obligation or duty, as of a testament by which a child is unjustly deprived of inheritance.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Latin inofficiosus: compare French inofficieux. See in- not, and officious.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word inofficious.

Examples

  • Unless a legitimate portion, a fourth part, had been reserved for the children, they were entitled to institute an action or complaint of _inofficious_ testament; to suppose that their father's understanding was impaired by sickness or age, and respectfully to appeal from his rigorous sentence to the deliberate wisdom of the magistrate.

    The Great Events by Famous Historians, Volume 04 Rossiter Johnson 1885

  • [153] Unless a legitimate portion, a fourth part, had been reserved for the children, they were entitled to institute an action or complaint of inofficious testament; to suppose that their father's understanding was impaired by sickness or age; and respectfully to appeal from his rigorous sentence to the deliberate wisdom of the magistrate.

    History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire — Volume 4 Edward Gibbon 1765

  • a legitimate portion, a fourth part, had been reserved for the children, they were entitled to institute an action or complaint of _inofficious_ testament; to suppose that their father's understanding was impaired by sickness or age; and respectfully to appeal from his rigorous sentence to the deliberate wisdom of the magistrate.

    History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire — Volume 4 Edward Gibbon 1765

  • The men and women are inofficious and are not passionate either. "

    Foreign Policy In Focus 2009

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.