caitiff
/ˈkeɪtɪf/
"caitiff" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“caitiff” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 7
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A base or despicable person; a wretch.
Corpus desk
Index EN-caitiff · caitiff · English
caitiff · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-LONG 7 letters
- VOW-3 3 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "C" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern
Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | caitiff |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈkeɪtɪf/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “caitiff” in English
Rare enough to double-check
caitiff is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈkeɪtɪf/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.
No generated misspelling entries exist for caitiff in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English caitif, from Anglo-Norman caitif (“captive”), akin to Old French chaitif (French chétif) and Middle Dutch keytyf, from a Vulgar Latin *cactīvus alteration via Gaulish influence from Latin captīvus (“captive”); compare Italian cattivo (“b… The correct English form is caitiff, spelled C-A-I-T-I-F-F.
Definition
- 1A base or despicable person; a wretch.
- 2A captive or prisoner, particularly a galley slave.
- 3A villain, a coward or wretch.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how caitiff appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
‘There are plenty of Huns who have defected to the Romans, seeking gold and a quiet life. One of my first tasks as paramount chief is to bring those caitiffs back and crucify them.’
(After answering no to Alvina’s question) ‘Hmm, I see. A result most heathenish and gross. Then there is nothing more to say about this tedious reckoning. Be gone from here. Pernicious caitiff.’
Etymology
From Middle English caitif, from Anglo-Norman caitif (“captive”), akin to Old French chaitif (French chétif) and Middle Dutch keytyf, from a Vulgar Latin *cactīvus alteration via Gaulish influence from Latin captīvus (“captive”); compare Italian cattivo (“bad, wicked”). Doublet of captive.
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.