Despite
/dɪˈspaɪt/noun
In spite of; regardless of.
Did you know?Despite comes through Old French from Latin despectus, literally “looked down upon,” from de- (“down”) + specere (“to look”), the same ancient eye-root behind spectacle, inspect, and suspect.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*spek-
“to look, observe”
Latin
Latin
specere
“to look”
Latin
Latin
despectus
“looked down upon; contempt”
Old French
Old French
despit
“contempt, scorn, injury; spite”
Middle English
English
despit
“contempt, malice, injury”
Modern English
English
despite
“in spite of; regardless of”