condescension

noun

Definition of condescensionnext
as in arrogance
the attitude or behavior of people who believe they are more intelligent or better than other people The author discusses the politics of the region without condescension.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of condescension Plays written about teenagers are not easy to pull off with authenticity and without condescension. — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2026 Dog Day Afternoon has unique sympathy for its central characters, emphasizing their desperation and seemingly endless complexity without condescension or oversimplification. — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Aug. 2026 His condescension toward his mother surely represents patriarchal attitudes of the period. — Marlow Stern, Variety, 17 July 2026 Even more than his spelling book, Webster’s An American Dictionary of the English Language was an attempt to fashion the materials for writers to address that sort of condescension. — Literary Hub, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for condescension
Recent Examples of Synonyms for condescension
  1. arrogance
  2. disdain
  3. superiority
  4. dominance
  5. inflation
Noun
  • Ilya is looking for work as an assistant, and the professor, with his dandyish nerd arrogance, tells him to look at a paper he’s written and come back in a few days.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 6 Oct. 2026
  • This standalone novel looks at the cult of celebrity, the bond among parents and children, entitlement and arrogance, all wrapped into a tightly wound plot that’s an evocative historical steeped in the Great Depression.
    — Oline H. Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of arrogance
Noun
  • The president’s disdain for James stems from her high-profile civil fraud investigations into his business dealings.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Hazle Township residents’ disdain for the $10,000 incentive is just the tip of the iceberg, Cook said.
    — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of disdain
Noun
  • That result shocked many Germans who had believed their country had developed an immunity to nationalism and assertions of racial superiority after confronting the horrors of its Nazi past through education and laws to prohibit persecution.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Sep. 2026
  • That result shocked many Germans who had believed their country had developed an immunity to nationalism and assertions of racial superiority after confronting the horrors of its Nazi past through education and laws to outlaw persecution.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of superiority
Noun
  • In recent years, Nike has lost major athletes Lamine Yamal, Harry Kane, and Ousmane Dembélé to competitor brands, reflecting its waning dominance in the performance sportswear market.
    — Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2026
  • So did their strong three-person alliance, which through strategic gameplay and season-long dominance ensured at least one of them would have a real shot at winning the game.
    — McKinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of dominance
Noun
  • Meanwhile, the proliferation of large new data centers is rivaling inflation and the Iran war as midterm political issues--and, like them, is hurting the Republicans.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Mortgage rates just hit the highest level since 2023, further complicating the economic picture as inflation remains high and investors grow increasingly concerned about the federal government’s fiscal footing.
    — Zach Halaschak, The Washington Examiner, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of inflation

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condescends
condescension
condign
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Cite this Entry

“Condescension.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/condescension. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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