Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- v. To view with contempt; despise. See Synonyms at despise.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- To consider and treat as contemptible and despicable; despise; scorn.
- To slight or disregard; neglect as unworthy of regard; reject with disdain.
- Synonyms Disdain, Despise, etc. (see scorn); look down upon, spurn.
Wiktionary
GNU Webster's 1913
- v. To view or treat with contempt, as mean and despicable; to reject with disdain; to despise; to scorn.
WordNet 3.0
- v. look down on with disdain
Etymologies
- From Latin contemnere ("to scorn"). See also contempt. (Wiktionary)
- Middle English contempnen, to slight, from Latin contemnere : com-, intensive pref.; see com- + temnere, to despise. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“Because it is a trial," saith he, "and what if the sword contemn even the rod?”
“Or, What if the sword contemn even the rod? that is, what if this sword make the former rods, as that or Sennacherib, to be contemned as nothing to this?”
“What if the sword contemn the tribe or sceptre? namely, that of Judah and the house of David (so some think Shebet here signifies); what if it should aim at the ruin of our government?”
“Because it is a trial, and what if the sword contemn even the rod? it shall be no more, saith the Lord GOD.”
“And here's Laurence Binyon's poem in full, and as the Tinker reminded me over our coffee and silence this morning it is "contemn" not "condemn".”
“26: 021: 013 Because it is a trial, and what if the sword contemn even the rod? it shall be no more, saith the Lord GOD.”
“13 Because it is a trial, and what if the sword contemn even the rod? it shall be no more, saith the Lord God.”
“Moreover to be mindful of all that God hath commanded, and remember that such as contemn God fall into hell for their sins, and that everlasting life is prepared for such as fear Him.”
“Because it is a trial, and what if the sword contemn even the rod? ”
“I am not glad that & ch a fore of time Should & ck a plaifter by 'contemn'd revolt.”
Internet Archive: The Dramatic Works of Shakspeare: In Six Volumes
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘contemn’.
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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 11184 more...
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phrontistery - c
from phrontistery.info
czardas, cytometer, cytology, cytheromania, cystoscope, cystolith, cyrenaic, cypseline, cyprinoid, cyphonism, cynophobia, cytogenesis and 1298 more...
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Words build meanings from origins( et...
These come from gamma meditation ,I think.
discursive, exogenous, machinations, purportedly, sumptuous, congruity, cantankerous, incongruous, festoon, hessian, ratiocinative, stratigraphic and 2046 more...
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Logolepsy
"Luciferous Logolepsy is a collection of over 9,000 obscure English words. Though the definition of an 'English' word might seem to be straightforward, it is not. There exist so many adopted, deriv...
Anschauung, Areopagus, Argus, Briarean, Dei gratia, Dei judicium, Deo volente, Duecento, Foehn, Geflugelte Worte, Gegenschein, Hakenkreuz and 9230 more...
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Vocab
goat rodeo, fardel, quotidian, deportment, opprobrium, deracinated, inculcate, desultory, orotund, chivvy, diktat, casuistry and 30 more...
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jaradgiese's Words
paronomasia, ostensible, insouciant, sobriquet, burlesque, insalubrious, apotheosis, hyperbole, connubial, felicity, florid, conurbation and 642 more...
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quality words
This is a mix of new words I've read studying for the GRE verbal and words I use normally. I also check back on these words if I don't use them often enough.
ineffable, septuagenarian, sesquipedalian, argyle, coalescence, profundity, vivisepulture, defenestrate, concatenate, usurp, diatribe, veracious and 461 more...
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bintalshamsa's list
My Favorite Words
weltschmerz, perspicacity, idée fixe, invigilator, salubrious, tchotchke, ex nihilo, invidious, malapropism, naïve, sardonic, elide and 1401 more...
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Uncle John’s Interesting Words
Words I find interesting.
abecedarius, acomoclitic, aperçu, apophenia, aspic, bêtise, bhang, callipygian, calque, carking, cataphract, ceruminous and 97 more...
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School Words
hagiography, antediluvian, rakish, impeccable, hackneyed, irascible, nascent, teetotaller, suffragette, amiable, expiate, turbulent and 110 more...
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learning
A list of words whose meanings I am learning, either because a) I don't know the meaning b) I know the meaning, but could stand to better appreciate certain inflections or secondary meanings or c) ...
louche, educe, loam, cob, sclerotic, palliate, axial, syndicalist, ecumenical, sally, fatuous, parvenu and 1381 more...
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The Confidence Man
Words to remember from Melville's "The Confidence Man"
chevalier, hawk, unalloyed, ex-officio, scruple, pertinacity, epithet, gilt, bedizen, embrasure, escritoire, squaw and 278 more...
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Papageno's Words, Pt. I
hobbledehoy, absquatulate, chthonic, prolix, ululate, internecine, verisimilitude, animadversion, concupiscence, vertiginous, cucullate, lucubrate and 1554 more...
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5-0
Hecko, words! I’m so happy I’ve found you. I want to keep you all and never want to lose you again. I hope you like it here.
amscray, thistledown, tine, tinsel, pungent, snarl, wail, lanky, viscid, dawdle, luminous, stow and 2719 more...
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Just 'cause I like 'em, C
cryptoxanthin, convent, calcar, chuckle, campanile, covet, complexion, campestral, chirography, counterscarp, caliginous, catabolism and 722 more...
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rememberers
prolix, ageusia, animadversion, anodyne, antic, arabesque, beadle, brachymetropia, colophon, desquamation, diaphoresis, diegesis and 3248 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for contemn.

bilby "SICINIUS: May they perceive's intent! He will require them
As if he did contemn what he requested
Should be in them to give."
- William Shakespeare, 'The Tragedy of Coriolanus'. Aug 28, 2009
milosrdenstvi I suppose condemn might have something to do with damn? Mar 20, 2009
rolig Strictly speaking, they mean different things, though it's true that we often condemn things we contemn. To condemn something or is to declare it bad, wicked, etc.; to contemn something is to express disdain for it, to hold it in contempt (which derives, in fact, from the past participle of the Latin verb contemnere, "to scorn", which gives us "contemn").
But you should note that "contemn" is not often used anymore (the Oxford American Dictionary marks it as "archaic"), probably because of this very confusion with "condemn". Mar 20, 2009
milosrdenstvi how closely is this related to condemn? I feel as if I could almost use them interchangeably. Mar 19, 2009