What does imperilment mean?
Imperilment is a formal, uncommon noun for the act of putting a person, thing, or situation into danger. It refers more precisely to the process or act of exposure than to the danger itself, which is ordinarily called peril. The word is chiefly encountered in legal, literary, or otherwise formal prose, though its underlying idea is common in expressions such as endangering and jeopardizing. In a sentence, imperilment usually names a threatened outcome: a warning, conflict, or decision may imperil the safety of workers, a community, or a public institution. Because the term sounds more dramatic and ceremonious than endangerment, it often lends a slightly elevated tone to a discussion of serious hazards. It is nevertheless useful when the emphasis falls on how danger is brought about or on a particular act of exposure. In ordinary conversation, endangering or putting at risk would usually be clearer and more natural.
nounThe act of putting or exposing a person, thing, or situation to danger.
- The act of putting or exposing a person, thing, or situation to danger.
"The report examines the negligent storage of chemicals and the resulting imperilment of the town's water supply."
"The report examines the negligent storage of chemicals and the resulting imperilment of the town's water supply."
"Her speech was chiefly a meditation on the imperilment of coastal communities by rising seas."
The plural is grammatically regular but very rarely used because the headword itself is uncommon.
"The inquiry considered the potential imperilments created by the proposed construction."
Imperilment is peril in motion: the act that brings danger upon people or things.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of imperilment
Imperilment was formed in English by adding the suffix "-ment" to imperil, a verb derived from peril. Peril comes through Old French from Vulgar Latin periculum, the Latin word for danger, making imperilment an English formation ultimately rooted in Latin.
How imperilment is actually used
A rare, formal, and somewhat literary term. In ordinary speech, "endangering" or "putting at risk" is usually more natural.
Easily confused with imperilment
Peril is the danger itself, whereas imperilment is the act of bringing that danger upon someone or something.
Imperil is a verb meaning to put in danger, while imperilment is the noun naming that action or process.