Condescend

Origin

Middle English, from Anglo-French condescendre, from Late Latin condescendere, from Latin com- + descendere to descend

• 14th Century

in medieval Latin to be complaisant or compliant, to accede to any one's opinion, etc.; in French also to come down from one's rights or claims, to yield consent, acquiesce.

Definitions

• 1: To come down voluntarily.
• 2: To come or bend down, so far as a particular action is concerned, from one's position of dignity or pride; to stoop voluntarily and graciously; to deign.
• 3: To depart from the privileges of superiority by a voluntary submission; to sink willingly to equal terms with inferiours’ (Johnson); to be condescending in one's relations with others.
• 4: To yield or deferentially give way; to show oneself deferential, compliant, or complaisant; to accommodate oneself to.
• 5: To give one's consent, to accede or agree to (a proposal, request, measure, etc.); to acquiesce.

Description

Condescension is a show of disdain and superiority in which the condescending person patronizes, or considers him/herself superior and "descends" to the level of, the disdained person.

Condescension can also refer to:

• Condescension, another name for accommodation, a theological principle in Christianity
• "Condescension" (song), a 2000 song by British metal band Pitchshifter