condescendence means the act of condescending; voluntary descent from one's rank or dignity in intercourse with an inferior; courtesy toward inferiors, condescension. It carries an Arena rating of 1476, earned across 46 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, condescendence ranks #593 of 17,128 for Most Ponderous Words, #677 of 17,132 for Most Betrayed by Its Sound, #1,306 of 17,143 for Best Fossil-Poetry Words, #2,102 of 17,104 for Most Storied Words.
Why “condescendence” is a great word
The act of voluntarily descending from one's perceived superior position to interact with those considered lower, or the formal legal statement of facts appended to a summons. From Late Latin condescendere, “to let oneself down, stoop,” from Latin com- (“together”) + descendere (“to come down”); first recorded in English 1630–40. Unlike condescension, which is the patronizing attitude, or humility, which is a virtue of genuine lowliness, condescendence is the enacted gesture—a conscious descent from a secure height. It is the practiced smile of a duchess visiting a foundling hospital, the oversimplified explanation offered to a junior colleague, and the austere typeface of a court document listing one’s failures—the quiet theater of power, pausing to make its awareness felt.
Etymology
From French condescendance, from condescendre, from Late Latin condescendere (“to let oneself down, stoop, condescend”), from Latin com- (“together”) + descendere (“to come down”). See condescend.
noun
- The act of condescending; voluntary descent from one's rank or dignity in intercourse with an inferior; courtesy toward inferiors, condescension.
- An articulate statement annexed to a summons, setting forth the allegations in fact upon which an action is founded.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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