What does condescendence mean?
Condescendence is a rare English noun with two distinct lives. Its principal surviving use is technical: in Scots law, a condescendence is a formal written document in which a party sets out, item by item, the specific facts and circumstances on which its claim depends, serving much the same purpose as a detailed statement of claim elsewhere. The word also carries an older, now largely obsolete sense denoting the quality of condescending — a willingness to deal with others on their level, later shaded into the familiar idea of patronizing superiority. Derived from Latin roots meaning 'to descend together,' it belongs to the same family as descend, descent, and condescension. Because the general sense has been almost wholly displaced by 'condescension,' readers encountering 'condescendence' outside a Scottish courtroom should assume the legal meaning is intended.
(Chiefly Scots law) A formal written statement setting out the specific facts and grounds upon which a legal action or claim is based.
"The solicitor drafted the condescendence carefully, numbering each factual averment."
A term of art in Scottish civil litigation; often used in the phrase 'condescendence of facts.'
(Archaic or literary) Condescending behavior or manner; patronizing treatment of another person.
"His condescendence toward the junior clerks made the office an unhappy place."
Largely superseded in this sense by 'condescension'; may strike modern readers as archaic or pedantic.
Rarely pluralized; the plural would appear only when referring to multiple distinct legal documents.
"Both parties submitted revised condescendences ahead of the hearing."
In Scottish courts, 'condescendence' has nothing to do with being snobby — it's a formal list of every fact you're alleging against your opponent.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of condescendence
Condescendence comes from Medieval Latin 'condescendentia,' formed from the verb 'condescendere' ('to stoop down, yield'), itself built from Latin 'com-' (together) and 'descendere' (to descend). It entered English in the late medieval period alongside 'condescension,' both initially conveying gracious willingness to lower oneself to another's level. The specialized legal sense developed in Scotland, where 'condescendence of facts' became a standard component of civil pleadings and remains so today.
Related word forms
How condescendence is actually used
In modern usage this word is almost entirely confined to Scottish legal proceedings, where it is a term of art. Outside that context it reads as archaic or affected; 'condescension' is the normal choice for expressing a patronizing attitude.
Easily confused with condescendence
Condescension is the everyday noun meaning patronizing manner or attitude, while condescendence is a rarer form that today survives mainly as a technical term in Scots law for a statement of factual allegations.