despective

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adjective

Disparaging, derogatory; looking down upon.

“‘Pencil pusher’ is a despective term for ‘administrative clerk’.”

Scrabble 18
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Meanings

adjectivedespective (comparative more despective, superlative most despective)

comparative more despective · superlative most despective

  1. Disparaging, derogatory; looking down upon.

    ‘Pencil pusher’ is a despective term for ‘administrative clerk’.

noundespective (plural despectives)

plural despectives

  1. human sciencesA disparaging/derogatory word or form of a word; a word or form indicative of the speaker's tendency to look down on the referent.

Origin

From despect + -ive.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Spanish despectivo, despectivo
  • despectivoTranslations
  • despectivoTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

despective. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/despective

MLA

“despective.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/despective. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “despective,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/despective.

Source: despective on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.