Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. The act of condescending or an instance of it.
- n. Patronizingly superior behavior or attitude.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. The act of condescending; the act of voluntarily stooping or inclining to an equality with an inferior; a waiving of claims due to one's rank or position; affability on the part of a superior; complaisance.
Wiktionary
- n. The act of condescending; voluntary descent from one's rank or dignity in intercourse with an inferior; courtesy toward inferiors.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. The act of condescending; voluntary descent from one's rank or dignity in intercourse with an inferior; courtesy toward inferiors.
WordNet 3.0
- n. a communication that indicates lack of respect by patronizing the recipient
- n. affability to your inferiors and temporary disregard for differences of position or rank
- n. the trait of displaying arrogance by patronizing those considered inferior
Etymologies
- Late Latin condēscēnsiō, condēscēnsiōn-, from condēscēnsus, past participle of condēscendere, to condescend; see condescend.
Examples
“You may have noticed that elite condescension is one thing lots of folks dislike about the left!”
The Huffington Post: David Roberts: Introducing 'Climate Hawks'
“And, really, your condescension is making you look ignorant.”
Think Progress » Bayh Claims ‘There’s A Fighting Chance’ Obama Will Call For A Spending Freeze
“Your condescension is outweighed by your stupidity.”
“Some of the older white Cubans retained racist feelings that were conveyed to us with a certain condescension and stiffness.”
Alice Walker: On Finding Your Bliss Interview by Evelyn C. White
“I realize that he could very well be elected in November, but his constant whining and air of condescension is convincing me more and more that I would find it very trying to listen to him for the rest of the campaign, never mind four years.”
McCain, Obama Trade Barbs Across the Seas - The Caucus Blog - NYTimes.com
“Rather, Air America's broadcasts seem merely to reinforce a certain condescension — hampering rather than helping a Democratic Party desperate to expand its appeal in red states.”
“A response consisting of mere condescension is what I call behaving like an ass.”
Developers Planning 14-Neighborhood Complex at cvillenews.com
“Do you know the meaning of the word condescension?”
In Alien Hands
“With all this, Berendt has fashioned a Baedeker to Savannah that, while it flirts with condescension, is always contagiously affectionate.”
“As a Basque, Juan was as much a foreigner among these Spaniards as Col-n himself, so that he got condescension from the Italian, contempt from the Spanish royal officers, and mockery from the Spanish sailors.”
Pastwatch, the Redemtion of Christopher Columbus
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘condescension’.
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Interesting words
A list of words that are odd or words that I have looked up.
concupiscence, brize, scree, scoria, forestaff, spanaemia, valetudinarianism, distasture, pyrethrum, laudanum, gentian, bicameral and 1073 more...
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Rhetorical Devices
syllepsis, zeugma, trope, wellerism, anastrophe, anaphora, apostrophe, metonymy, chiasmus, antimetabole, syncope, open-list and 431 more...
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