Main Entry:

con·tume·ly

Pronunciation:

\kän-ˈtü-mə-lē, kən-, -ˈtyü-; ˈkän-tü-ˌmē-lē, -tyü-ˌ, -chə-ˌ; in “Hamlet” ˈkän-(ˌ)tyüm-lē or ˈkän-chəm-\

Function:

noun

Inflected Form(s):

plural con·tume·lies

Etymology:

Middle English contumelie, from Middle French, from Latin contumelia

Date:

14th century

: harsh language or treatment arising from haughtiness and contempt ; also : an instance of such language or treatment