condescension

/kɑndiˈsɛnʃən/

//kɑndiˈsɛnʃən// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"condescension" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“condescension” has 21 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #41,060. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#41,060
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
21
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The act of condescending; a manner of behaving in an outwardly polite way that nevertheless implies superiority to another; patronizing courtesy toward inferiors.

Corpus desk

Index EN-condescension · condescension · English

condescension · rank #41,060 · 21 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #41,060
  • LEN-MEGA 13 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 21 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH condense

Nearest frequency peer: condense (-1 rank slots)

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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “condescension”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “condescension” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for condescension
PropertyValue
Headwordcondescension
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kɑndiˈsɛnʃən/
Letters13
Frequency rank#41,060
Misspellings tracked21
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “condescension”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).condescensionlands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “condense” (#41,059), “corkscrew” (#41,061), “compressing” (#41,058). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “condescension” is #41,060. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 21 spelling variants around condescension (IPA /kɑndiˈsɛnʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #41,060 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 21 likely wrong-spelling variants for condescension, with forms such as "ccondescension", "cnodescension", and "codnescension". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin condēscēnsiō. The correct English form is condescension, spelled C-O-N-D-E-S-C-E-N-S-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of condescending; a manner of behaving in an outwardly polite way that nevertheless implies superiority to another; patronizing courtesy toward inferiors.
  2. 2
    A patronizing attitude or behavior.
  3. 3
    Courtesy, affability of a superior towards an inferior.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how condescension appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Conscious condescension breeds panderers and enemies, not friends.
  2. Mrs. Howard's fête at Marble Hill more than realised all expectations. The very spring put itself forward to please her; or, rather borrowed a day from summer. The king and queen were in the last extremities of royal condescension. It was enough to make domestic felicity the fashion from one end of the British empire to the other, just to see the august c…

Etymology

From Latin condēscēnsiō.

Synonyms

condescendence

This word in other languages

condescendance(Français)Herablassung(Deutsch)condescendência(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccondescension
  • cnodescension
  • codnescension
  • conddescension
  • condecsension
  • condesccension
  • condescenison
  • condescennsion
  • condescensino
  • condescensionn
  • condescensoin
  • condescenssion
  • condescention
  • condescesnion
  • condescnesion
  • condesecnsion
  • condesscension
  • condsecension
  • conedscension
  • conndescension
  • ocndescension

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of condescension - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ccondescension1cnodescension2codnescension2conddescension1condecsension2condesccension1condescenison2condescennsion1
Edit distance from "condescension"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "condescension"?
"condescension" is spelled C-O-N-D-E-S-C-E-N-S-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /kɑndiˈsɛnʃən/.
What does "condescension" mean?
As a noun, "condescension" means: The act of condescending; a manner of behaving in an outwardly polite way that nevertheless implies superiority to another; patronizing courtesy toward inferiors.
What are common misspellings of "condescension"?
Common misspellings include "ccondescension", "cnodescension", "codnescension", "conddescension", "condecsension". The correct spelling is "condescension".
How do you pronounce "condescension"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "condescension" is /kɑndiˈsɛnʃən/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "condescension"?
From Latin condēscēnsiō. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "condescension", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 13 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

valedictorian#40,952Herefordshire#41,172unanticipated#40,942translocation#40,934

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (21 here; floor ≥5).

subcontractor21 variantsoverpopulation21 variantspostmodernism21 variantsexcommunication21 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list