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contempt

 - 5 dictionary results

con⋅tempt

  [kuhn-tempt]
–noun
1. the feeling with which a person regards anything considered mean, vile, or worthless; disdain; scorn.
2. the state of being despised; dishonor; disgrace.
3. Law.
a. willful disobedience to or open disrespect for the rules or orders of a court (contempt of court) or legislative body.
b. an act showing such disrespect.
Use contempt in a Sentence
Origin:
1350–1400; ME (< AF) < L contemptus a slighting = contemn(ere) to despise, scorn (see contemn ) + -tus suffix of v. action (with loss of n and intrusive p)

Synonyms:
contempt, disdain, scorn imply strong feelings of disapproval and aversion toward what seems base, mean, or worthless. contempt is disapproval tinged with disgust: to feel contempt for a weakling. disdain is a feeling that a person or thing is beneath one's dignity and unworthy of one's notice, respect, or concern: a disdain for crooked dealing. scorn denotes open or undisguised contempt often combined with derision: He showed only scorn for those who were not as ambitious as himself.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.
Cite This Source Link To contempt
con·tempt   (kən-těmpt')   
n.  

  1. The feeling or attitude of regarding someone or something as inferior, base, or worthless; scorn.

  2. The state of being despised or dishonored; disgrace.

  3. Open disrespect or willful disobedience of the authority of a court of law or legislative body.


[Middle English, from Latin contemptus, past participle of contemnere, to despise; see contemn.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

contempt 
1393, from L. contemptus "scorn," pp. of contemnere, from com- intens. prefix + temnere "to slight, scorn," of uncertain origin. Contemptuous is from 1529.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: con·tempt
Pronunciation: k&n-'tempt
Function: noun
1 : willful disobedience or open disrespect of the orders, authority, or dignity of a court or judge acting in a judicial capacity by disruptive language or conduct or by failure to obey the court's orders; also : the offense of contempt called also contempt of court
civil contempt
: contempt that consists of disobedience to a court order in favor of the opposing party
NOTE: The sanctions for civil contempt end upon compliance with the order.
constructive contempt
: INDIRECT CONTEMPT in this entry
criminal contempt
: contempt consisting of conduct that disrupts or opposes the proceedings or power of the court
NOTE: The sanctions for criminal contempt are designed to punish as well as to coerce compliance.
direct contempt
: contempt committed in the presence of the court or in a location close enough to disrupt the court's proceedings
in·di·rect contempt
: contempt (as disobedience of a court order) that occurs outside of the presence of the court
2 : willful disobedience to a lawful order of or willful obstruction of a legislative body in the course of exercising its powers <contempt of Congress>—in contempt : in the state of having been found guilty of contempt in contempt —A. M. Dershowitz>
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Idioms & Phrases

contempt

see familiarity breeds contempt.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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