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condemn

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condemn

  • /kənˈdɛm/ Canada, US, UK
  • /kənˈdɪm/ pin pen merger
  • /kənˈdem/ Australia, New Zealand

Rhymes with -ɛm

Where it comes from

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *ḱe?

Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm

Proto-Italic *kom

Proto-Italic *kom-

Latin con-

Proto-Indo-European *deh₂-

Proto-Indo-European *deh₂p-der.

Proto-Indo-European *dh₂pnóm

Proto-Italic *dapnom

Latin damnum

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂

Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂

Proto-Indo-European *-yéti

Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu.

Proto-Italic *-ājō

Proto-Italic *-āō

Latin -ō

Latin damnō

Latin condemnō

Proto-Italic *-āzi

▲

Latin -ereinflu.

Latin -āre

Latin condemnārebor.

Old French condamnerbor.

Middle English condempnen

English condemn

From Middle English condempnen, from Old French condamner, from Latin condemnāre (“to sentence, condemn, blame”), from com- + damnāre (“to harm, condemn, damn”), from damnum (“damage, injury, loss”). Displaced native Middle English fordemen (from Old English fordeman (“condemn, sentence, doom”) > Modern English fordeem.

verb condemns · condemning · condemned

  1. transitive To strongly criticise or denounce; to excoriate. The president condemned the terrorists.
  2. transitive To judicially pronounce (someone) guilty.
  3. transitive To judicially announce a verdict upon a finding of guilt; To sentence The judge condemned him to death.
  4. transitive To confer eternal divine punishment upon.
  5. figuratively, transitive To destine to experience bad circumstances; to doom. Too many people are condemned to a life of poverty.
  6. transitive To declare something to be unfit for use, or further use. There was a massive slaughter of W.R. steam power at the conclusion of the summer timetable. In all, 169 locomotives were condemned.
  7. transitive To adjudge (a building) as being unfit for habitation. The house was condemned after it was badly damaged by fire.
  8. transitive To adjudge (building or construction work) as of unsatisfactory quality, requiring the work to be redone.
  9. transitive To adjudge (food or drink) as being unfit for human consumption.
  10. transitive To declare (a vessel) to be unfit for service.
  11. transitive To determine and declare (property) to be assigned to public use. See eminent domain.
  12. transitive To declare (a vessel) to be forfeited to the government or to be a prize.

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