What does contempt mean?
Contempt is the emotion of regarding someone or something as utterly beneath consideration — a blend of scorn, disdain, and dismissal far colder than ordinary anger or dislike. Where anger engages its object, contempt looks down on it as unworthy of serious attention. The word appears constantly in both everyday and formal English: one may treat an excuse with contempt, hold a habit in contempt, or describe a remark as beneath contempt. It carries an unmistakably negative connotation, and describing someone's attitude as contemptuous is rarely neutral praise. Contempt also has a precise legal meaning: "contempt of court" denotes open disrespect toward, or willful defiance of, a court's authority, and can result in fines or imprisonment. The adjective forms matter: "contemptuous" describes someone feeling contempt, while "contemptible" describes something deserving it — a distinction even careful writers sometimes blur. Few words so efficiently capture the act of writing another person off entirely.
The feeling or expression that a person or thing is beneath consideration, worthless, or worthy only of scorn.
"She dismissed his apology with cold contempt."
Commonly paired with prepositions such as "with," "in," or "for."
(Law) Willful disobedience of, or open disrespect toward, the rules, orders, or authority of a court.
"The witness was held in contempt for refusing to answer."
Rarely pluralized; "contempt" is nearly always used as an uncountable mass noun. A plural appears mainly in older or very formal legal prose.
"His contempts of parliamentary procedure eventually cost him his seat."
In American law, you can be fined or jailed for contempt of court — meaning the judge literally holds the power to punish your disrespect.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of contempt
Contempt comes from the Latin verb contemnere, meaning "to despise or scorn," formed from com- (an intensifying prefix) and temnere ("to slight or scorn"). It entered English via Old French in the late Middle Ages, by the late 14th century, initially carrying both emotional and legal senses. Its Latin root also gives English "contemn," a rare formal verb meaning to despise, while the adjectives "contemptuous" and "contemptible" developed from related medieval Latin forms.
Related word forms
How contempt is actually used
A formal-to-neutral register word with strongly negative connotation; it conveys more than dislike — it implies looking down on something as unworthy. In legal contexts, "contempt of court" is a fixed technical term covering both civil and criminal contempt.
Easily confused with contempt
"Contemptible" means deserving contempt (despicable), while "contemptuous" means feeling or showing contempt — a common mix-up.