contemn
UK: kənˈtɛm | US: kənˈtɛm
vt. to treat or regard with disdain or scorn
vt. to reject as unworthy of consideration
contemn = con<together/intensive> + temn<scorn>
- con: A Latin prefix meaning "together" or "intensively," often used to add emphasis.
- temn: Derived from Latin temnere ("to scorn, despise"), this root carries the core meaning of disdain or rejection.
Etymology Origin:
The word contemn originates from Latin contemnere, combining con- (intensifying prefix) and temnere ("to scorn"). It entered Middle English via Old French contemner, retaining its sense of overt disdain. The root temn is rare in modern English but appears in related words like contempt. Over time, contemn became less common, overshadowed by despise or scorn, but it persists in formal or literary contexts.
The judge warned the lawyer not to contemn the court’s authority.
His peers contemned his ideas as impractical and naive.
She refused to contemn tradition, even when pressured to modernize.
The critic’s review contemned the film as artistically bankrupt.
To contemn honest labor is to misunderstand its dignity.