CONTEMPT, noun [Latin See Contemn.] 1. The act of despising; the act of viewing or considering and treating as mean, vile and worthless; disdain; hatred of what is mean or deemed vile. This word is one of the strongest expressions of a mean opinion which the language affords. Nothing, says Longinus, can be great, the contempt of which is great. 2. The state of being despised; whence in a scriptural sense, shame, disgrace. Some shall awake to everlasting contempt Daniel 7:1. 3. In law, disobedience of the rules and orders of a court, which is a punishable offense.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI