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Webster 1913 Edition


Contempt

Con-tempt′

(kŏn-tĕmt′; 215)
,
Noun.
[L.
contemptus
, fr.
contemnere
: cf. OF.
contempt
. See
Contemn
.]
1.
The act of contemning or despising; the feeling with which one regards that which is esteemed mean, vile, or worthless; disdain; scorn.
Criminal
contempt
of public feeling.
Macaulay.
Nothing, says Longinus, can be great, the
contempt
of which is great.
Addison.
2.
The state of being despised; disgrace; shame.
Contempt
and begarry hangs upon thy back.
Shakespeare
3.
An act or expression denoting contempt.
Little insults and
contempts
.
Spectator.
The
contempt
and anger of his lip.
Shakespeare
4.
(Law)
Disobedience of the rules, orders, or process of a court of justice, or of rules or orders of a legislative body; disorderly, contemptuous, or insolent language or behavior in presence of a court, tending to disturb its proceedings, or impair the respect due to its authority.
Syn. – Disdain; scorn; derision; mockery; contumely; neglect; disregard; slight.

Webster 1828 Edition


Contempt

CONTEMPT

,
Noun.
[L. See Contemn.]
1.
The act of despising; the act of viewing or considering and treating as mean, vile and worthless; disdain; hatred of what is mean or deemed vile. This word is one of the strongest expressions of a mean opinion which the language affords.
Nothing, says Longinus, can be great, the contempt of which is great.
2.
The state of being despised; whence in a scriptural sense, shame, disgrace.
Some shall awake to everlasting contempt. Daniel 7.
3.
In law, disobedience of the rules and orders of a court, which is a punishable offense.

Definition 2024


contempt

contempt

English

Alternative forms

Noun

contempt (plural contempts)

  1. (uncountable) The state or act of contemning; the feeling or attitude of regarding someone or something as inferior, base, or worthless; scorn, disdain.
    • 1918, W. B. Maxwell, chapter 13, in The Mirror and the Lamp:
      And Vickers launched forth into a tirade very different from his platform utterances. He spoke with extreme contempt of the dense stupidity exhibited on all occasions by the working classes. He said that if you wanted to do anything for them, you must rule them, not pamper them.
  2. The state of being despised or dishonored; disgrace.
  3. (law) Open disrespect or willful disobedience of the authority of a court of law or legislative body.

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