condescend

verb

Etymology: From Middle English condescenden, condescendre (“to deign, condescend; to accede graciously; to agree; to agree to, give consent; to make a concession, yield; etc.”), from Old French condescendre (“to descend, go down; to agree or assent to”) (modern French condescendre), from Ecclesiastical Latin condēscendere, the present active infinitive of condēscendō (“to stoop down; to condescend”), from Latin con- (prefix denoting a bringing together of several objects) + dēscendō (“to come or go down, descend; to stoop down”) (from dē- (prefix denoting reversal or undoing) + scandō (“to ascend, mount; to clamber”) (from Proto-Indo-European *skend- (“to climb, scale; to dart; to jump; etc.”))).

1. To come down or go down; to descend.

   “To ſtoop to any ſordid lovv Action, is to imitate the Kite, vvhich flyeth high in the Air, yet vouchſafes to condeſcend to Carrion upon the Ground.”

2. To come down from a superior position and do something; to deign; (with a negative connotation) to stoop.

   “The boss condescended not to sack him after much persuasion from his coworkers.”

   “Truli I knowe him [the Devil] to wel, and haue obeyed him a little to much in condiſcenting to ſome folies.”

3. To treat someone as though inferior; to talk down to someone; to patronize.

   “Miss Crawley's graciousness was also remarkable. She continued her raptures about little Amelia, talked about her before her face as if she were a doll, or a servant, or a picture, and admired her with the most benevolent wonder possible. I admire that admiration which the genteel world sometimes extends to the commonalty. There is no more agreeable object in life than to see May Fair folks condescending.”

   “"You must know," said Estella, condescending to me as a brilliant and beautiful woman might, "that I have no heart—if that has anything to do with my memory."”

4. Chiefly followed by on or upon: to go into detail; to particularize, to specify.

   “The whole of his work consists of digested and transformed experience presented to you under arrangements new to himself. It is all true, except as to "the way it is put," and you feel that it is true—that is, if the work be good of the kind; but you can not "condescend upon particulars" as to when and where it all happened.”

5. To agree to something; to accede, to assent, to consent; also, to reach an agreement.

   “Than were they condeſended that Kyng Arthure and syr mordred ſhold mete betwyxte bothe theyr hooſtes and eueryche of them shold brynge fourtene persones […]”

   “Careles and shamlesse, / Thriftles and gracelesse, / Together are bended, / And so condyscended, / That the commune welth / Shall neuer haue good helth, […]”

6. To give way or yield in a deferential manner; to be amenable or compliant.

   “Henricus the Emperour [Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor] fearing þᵉ vaine thūderbolt of the Popes curse, talking with his princes, and perswaded by his frendes, was fain to condescend to the vnreasonable conditions of the Pope: […]”

   “Theodoſius gave eare & condiſcended to his vvords, […]”

7. To graciously give; to vouchsafe.

   “[W]hen John [the author of the Gospel of John] asks thee [Jesus] a queſtion […] thou condeſcendeſt to a mild and full (though ſecret) ſatisfaction.”

8. To reach a certain point; to settle on.

   “[H]is Ho[liness] hath, & contynually doth deſire them vvith ſpede to condeſcend to oon opinion, or other, & to ſhevv their ſentence in theſe Articles, VVhether in ther opinions the cauſes vvherupon the Matrimony ſhold be declared nought, & the Diſpenſation void, be ſufficient in the lavv, or not.”

   “[T]hereafter our cavalier condescendeth again to matters of fact.”

9. To secretly make plans, usually to bring about a bad or illegal result; to conspire, to plot.

   “[S]he perſwaded the Duke of Clarence, that it was neyther naturall, nor honorable to him eyther to condiſcende or take parte againſt the houſe of Yorke, (of which he was lineally diſcended) and to ſet vp agayne the houſe of Lancaſtre, […]”

10. To treat (someone) as though inferior; to talk down to (someone); to patronize.

    “I didn't mean to condescend you, Mr. Shreck.”

    “I'm not trying to condescend you, Ben.”

11. Often preceded by the dummy pronoun it: to agree to (something); to consent.

    “It was condescended by the warring parties that they should lay down their arms and seek peace.”

    “And furthermore, we commit the adminiſtration & vſe of policie and iuſtice ouer the foreſaid vnited prouinces, and aſſociat cities and members of the ſame into his hands, […] with eſpeciall power to collect profits, and receiue, and adminiſtrat all the contributions which are agreed and condeſcended, or ſhall hereafter he conſented or agreed, to the maintenance of the warres: […]”