Meaning & use

insouciance

noun·Advanced

A casual lack of concern or worry; carefree indifference.

See it in a sentence

He answered the difficult question with a striking insouciance that surprised the interviewer.

Her insouciance about the looming deadline worried her more careful coworkers.

A note on using this word

Insouciance is a French loanword and usually carries a slightly literary tone; 'nonchalance' is a more common everyday alternative.

Words with a similar meaning

nonchalanceindifference

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “insouciance”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.