respite

1 of 3

noun

re·​spite ˈre-spət 

 also  ri-ˈspīt,

 British usually  ˈre-ˌspīt

1

: a period of temporary delay

2

: an interval of rest or relief

respite

2 of 3

verb

respited; respiting

transitive verb

1

: to grant a temporary period of relief to : grant a respite to

2

: put off, delay

respite

3 of 3

adjective

: providing or being temporary care in relief of a primary caregiver

respite care

a respite worker

Did you know?

Respite Has Latin Roots

Respite is first known to have been used at the turn of the 14th century to refer to a delay or extension asked for or granted for a specific reason—to give someone time to deliberate on a proposal, for example. Such a respite offered an opportunity for the kind of consideration inherent in the word's etymology. Respite traces from the Latin term respectus (also the source of English's respect), which comes from respicere, a verb with both concrete and abstract meanings: "to turn around to look at" or "to regard." Within a few decades of its earliest known use, English speakers had granted respite the sense we use most often today—"a welcome break."

Examples of respite in a Sentence

Noun

But in the middle of each semester there came a short respite, separate from the traditional holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. —Martha Southgate, The Fall of Rome, 2002

Six years more of toil they had to face before they could expect the least respite, the cessation of the payments upon the house … —Upton Sinclair, The Jungle, 1906

The laborer's day ends with the going down of the sun … but his employer, who speculates from month to month, has no respite from one end of the year to the other. —Henry David Thoreau, Walden, 1854

The bad weather has continued without respite.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The removal of the provision to cap service at three years could provoke anger in the ranks, particularly among infantry soldiers who have been engaged in brutal combat on the front lines for more than two years with little respite. —Marc Santora, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2024

Home to more than 675 million people across 11 countries, the region has seen temperatures reach unprecedented levels – with little respite from merciless heat and humidity, climatologist Maximiliano Herrera told CNN. —Heather Chen, CNN, 10 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun, Verb, and Adjective

Middle English respit, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin respectus, from Latin, act of looking back — more at respect

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1978, in the meaning defined above

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

Kids Definition

respite

noun

re·​spite

ˈres-pət,

 also  ri-ˈspīt

1

: a short delay : postponement

2

: a period of rest or relief

Legal Definition

respite

noun

res·​pite ˈres-pət, ri-ˈspīt 

in the civil law of Louisiana : a judicially approved or enforced agreement that provides a debtor with time or a delay for the payment of creditors