malapertness
nounEtymology From Middle English malepertnesse; equivalent to malapert + -ness.
1
Obsolete The condition of being malapert.
- if once it be possessed with the boldnesse to despise, and malapertnesse to impugne the opinions which tofore it held in awfull reverence […], they will soone and easily admit an equall uncertainty in all other parts of their beleefe […]., II.12