Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Marked by blithe unconcern; nonchalant.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Destitute of care or forethought; heedless of consequences or of the future; indifferent; unconcerned.

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

  • adjective Careless; heedless; indifferent; unconcerned.

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

  • adjective Carefree, nonchalant, indifferent; casually unconcerned.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective marked by blithe unconcern

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[French : in-, not (from Old French; see in–) + souciant, present participle of soucier, to trouble (from Old French, from Vulgar Latin *sollicītāre, alteration of Latin sollicitāre, to vex; see solicit).]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From French insouciant from in- (“not”) + souciant (“worrying”)

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Examples

  • There's a wonderful cover shot to the 1958 album Legrand Jazz, with pianist-composer Michel Legrand wearing an expression of insouciant expectation, Gauloise at the corner of his mouth, indolently summoning invisible sidemen to action.

    This week's new live music 2011

  • There's a wonderful cover shot to the 1958 album Legrand Jazz, with pianist-composer Michel Legrand wearing an expression of insouciant expectation, Gauloise at the corner of his mouth, indolently summoning invisible sidemen to action.

    This week's new live music 2011

  • I laughed so much with both surprise and delight that I gladly relinquished the bread to gabbling beaks and they went on their way to steam-roller another 'insouciant' picnicker.

    ame soeur - French Word-A-Day 2009

  • She was slinky in a short black skirt with ridiculously high heels -- nosebleed heels -- and she moved across the stage in a kind of insouciant shimmy.

    Robert Rodi: Booty (Re)Call With Typhanie Monique 2009

  • I laughed so much with both surprise and delight that I gladly relinquished the bread to gabbling beaks and they went on their way to steam-roller another 'insouciant' picnicker.

    ame soeur - French Word-A-Day 2009

  • One is that I know they probably FEEL great; they often have that kind of insouciant look about them that I think is partly due to not having a crotch seam and being able to get dressed in seconds.

    I missed blogging against sexism! - A Dress A Day 2007

  • there are definition questions what does "insouciant" mean?

    "I never see those things" 2004

  • Because, as an author, I believe that kind of insouciant self-confidence builds a more enduring bond. "

    unknown title 2009

  • But when she spoke, she had an insouciant and unpracticed glamour that belonged in a Hollywood film.

    The 12:39 to Matanzas 2009

  • Getty Images Velvet slippers can add an insouciant flavor to jeans on Kanye West, suits and shorts.

    How Going Outside in Slippers Became Cool Ray A. Smith 2011

Comments

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  • Also a favorite of Margaret Atwood

    December 3, 2006

  • insouciant....with my mind on my money and my money on my mind -snoop dogg

    January 17, 2007

  • carefree, nonchalant

    September 14, 2007

  • a desired for state and a word with an delicious mouthfeel

    September 19, 2007

  • Also a favorite of Moby. I learned this one during a Moby VH1 special about seven years ago.

    November 10, 2007

  • "Infinite Jest" by David Foster Wallace, pg.509:

    "Hal was confident Pemulis would remove the insouciant hat the minute they were called in on what was presumably going to be the carpet."

    February 17, 2008

  • A darling, darling word! and a favourite of mine, always always.

    April 28, 2008

  • in-SOO-siant

    May 5, 2008

  • Wouldn't insoucigrasshopper make more sense?

    September 16, 2009

  • Michael Azerrad, witing in 'Our Band Could Be Your Life' described the voice of Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon as "a sort of insouciant holler, like a kid calling to her friends about something great she'd found but trying not to seem too excited about it".

    August 20, 2013