impĕrītus (inp-), a, um, adj. [2. inperitus], inexperienced in any thing, not knowing, unacquainted with, unskilled, ignorant, without experience (class.; syn.: ignarus, rudis; opp. prudens, callidus); constr. usually with the gen. or absol., rarely with in.
- (α) With gen.: homines adulescentulos, inperitos rerum, Ter. And. 5, 4, 8: summi juris peritissimus, civilis non imperitus, Cic. Rep. 5, 3: imperitus foederis, rudis exemplorum, ignarus belli, id. Balb. 20, 47; cf. id. de Or. 3, 44, 175: homo imperitus morum, agricola et rusticus, with no experience of life, id. Rosc. Am. 49, 143: homines barbari et nostrae consuetudinis imperiti, Caes. B. G. 4, 22, 1; cf. id. ib. 1, 44, 17: conviciorum, Auct. Her. 4, 10, 14: lyrae, Quint. 1, 10, 19: poëmatum quoque non imperitus, Suet. Aug. 89.
- (β) Absol.: homine inperito numquam quicquam injustius, Ter. Ad. 1, 2, 18: cum in theatro imperiti homines, rerum omnium rudes ignarique consederant, Cic. Fl. 7, 16: callidum imperitus fraudasse dicitur, id. Rosc. Com. 7, 21: sin apud indoctos imperitosque dicemus, id. Part. 26, 92; cf. id. Rep. 1, 16: cum imperiti facile ad credendum impellerentur, id. ib. 2, 10: uti prudentes cum imperitis manus consererent, Sall. J. 49, 2: ne quis imperitior existimet, me, etc., Cic. Rosc. Am. 46, 135; so, imperitiores quidam, Quint. 1, 10, 28: contio quae ex imperitissimis constat, etc., Cic. Lael. 25, 95: multitudo imperita et rudis, Liv. 1, 19, 4.
Rarely of things: ingenium, Plaut. Trin. 3, 2, 39: poëma imperito quodam initio fusum, Quint. 9, 4, 114.
- (γ) With in: in his non imperitus, Vitr. 1, 1: in verbis adeo imperitus, Quint 1, 4, 27; 12, 3, 5.
Hence, adv.: impĕrītē, unskilfully, ignorantly, awkwardly: imperite absurdeque fictum, Cic. Rep. 2, 15: dicebat Scipio non imperite, id. Brut. 47, 175: excerpta, Quint. 2, 15, 24.
Ellipt.: hoc imperite (suppl. factum), Cic. Phil. 2, 32, 81.
Comp.: quid potuit dici imperitius? Cic. Balb. 8, 20.
Sup.: cum est illud imperitissime dictum, Cic. Balb. 11, 27.