condescend

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   to behave as though superior; to deign

   He would not condescend to explain himself to subordinates.

Simplified etymology

Condescend entered English in the late Middle Ages from a Latin formation containing scandere, “to climb.” It shares this root with ascend and descend, as well as with Latin scala, “ladder,” from which the relevant senses of scale derive.

From Old French condescendre, from Late Latin condescendere ('to stoop, accommodate oneself'), from Latin com- ('together') + descendere ('to descend'), from de- ('down') + scandere ('to climb').

Topics

External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary