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contempt
noun
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 'in contempt' mean?
A person may be held in contempt in a number of ways. The legal sense may be defined as "willful disobedience to or open disrespect of a court, judge, or legislative body." In a general sense if you hold someone in contempt it simply means that you despise or strongly disapprove of them.
Is the word contempt a verb?
Contempt is typically a noun: people feel contempt, for example, or they act with contempt. The word is, however, also a verb, but as a verb it is archaic, and may be viewed as a mistake. It is synonymous with the verb contemn, which, although somewhat obscure, is not archaic.
Does contempt mean "disdain"?
In many ways the words are synonymous; one may be said to have either disdain or contempt for a thing one scorns, without a significant change in meaning. Disdain more commonly functions as a verb (the verb sense of contempt is no longer in common use), so one would write "I disdained the offer" rather than "I contempted the offer." And contempt is found used in legal settings (in the phrase contempt of court, for instance), while disdain is not.
Synonyms
Examples of contempt in a Sentence
Word History
Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin contemptus, from contemnere "to look down on, show no respect for, despise" + -tus, suffix of action nouns (with loss of n and intrusive p) — more at contemn
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Phrases Containing contempt
Dictionary Entries Near contempt
Cite this Entry
“Contempt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contempt. Accessed 24 Dec. 2024.
Kids Definition
contempt
nounLegal Definition
contempt
nouncalled also contempt of court
Note: The sanctions for civil contempt end upon compliance with the order.
Note: The sanctions for criminal contempt are designed to punish as well as to coerce compliance.
More from Merriam-Webster on contempt
Nglish: Translation of contempt for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of contempt for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about contempt
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