Respect

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ɹɪˈspɛkt/

Definitions

1. A feeling of deep admiration for someone or something based on their abilities, qualities, or achievements
2. An acknowledgment of the value and rights of individuals or groups that promotes admiration and positive regard for their qualities and achievements
3. A strong positive regard for someone due to their talents, achievements, or character ; thoughtful recognition of others' feelings, rights, or positions

Etymology: Behind "respect" lies the Latin verb "respicere," which meant to look back at something, or to look at it again. Its past participle "respectus" carried that sense of looking, and the noun came to mean a considered glance, then regard, then the attitude of holding someone in esteem. The word reached English from Old French "respect," which had itself borrowed the Latin noun, so the English sense of "regard" and "esteem" is the older layer, present well before the modern meaning of admiration. The pieces are simple: "re-," meaning back, plus "specere," meaning to look, the same root that gives "spectacle" and "inspect." So at heart the word describes turning one's gaze back toward something and paying it attention, which is still what respect asks of us.

Synonyms: esteem, admiration, regard, deference, honor

Antonyms: disrespect, scorn, contempt, derision, indifference