Indignity
/ɪnˈdɪɡ.nɪ.ti/noun
An insulting or humiliating act or treatment.
Did you know?Indignity comes from Latin dignitas, “worthiness” or “rank,” so its core history is about stripping someone of the honor they were socially supposed to possess.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
indignitas
“Unworthiness; unseemliness; a state of being unworthy of honor”
Late Latin
Latin
indignus
“Unworthy, undeserving, not fit for”
Old French
Old French
indignité
“Unworthiness; insult; disgrace”
14th Century
English
indignite
“Unworthiness; disgrace; insult”
Modern English
English
indignity
“An affront, humiliation, or insulting treatment”