Condescensions

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The act of treating someone as though they are inferior by adopting a patronizing tone or manner
2. The behavior of displaying a superior attitude towards others, often marked by an air of superiority or disdain
3. Engaging in the practice of lowering oneself to interact with others while simultaneously asserting dominance or superiority

Etymology: "Condescensions" is the plural of "condescension," so it names separate acts of stooping to an inferior's level, each one a small display of rank. The noun is borrowed from Latin "condēscēnsiō," formed from "condēscendere," meaning "to climb down together" or "to stoop with," built from the prefix "con-" (with, together) and "dēscendere" (to descend). Its original sense was neutral and even gracious: a voluntary lowering of oneself to meet another person, a willingness to come down from a higher station. The meaning drifted over the centuries. In English the idea of stooping to help or accommodate others remained, but it gradually picked up a faint edge, implying that the one who stoops is aware of having higher standing. By the time the plural form was used, the emphasis had shifted toward the patronizing attitude itself, so the word now usually carries disdain rather than generosity.

Synonyms: patronizations, snobbery, arrogance

Antonyms: humility, respect, equality