indulgence etymology

Etymology:

  • Late Middle English (in the sense ‘a privilege granted by the Church to a penitent to remit penance’): from Anglo-Norman French endulgence, from Latin indulgentia, indulgentiae ‘favour, kindness, pardon’, from indulgere ‘to be favourable, gentle, kind’, from in- ‘in’ + dulgere ‘to be gentle, soothe’.

Meaning:

  • The action of allowing oneself to enjoy something that is normally forbidden or beyond one's means.
  • A special favour or privilege granted by the Pope or a bishop, typically a remission of punishment due for sin.

Origin:

In the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church developed a system of indulgences as a way to reduce the amount of time that a penitent would spend in purgatory after death. Indulgences were granted by the Pope or a bishop, and they could be purchased with money or by performing certain works of piety.

The Protestant Reformation led to the rejection of the idea of indulgences by many Christian denominations. However, the Catholic Church still maintains the practice of granting indulgences.

indulgence relate terms

  • indulge

    Etymology Derives from the Latin verb indulgere meaning to be kind to to gratify

  • indulgence

    Etymology Late Middle English in the sense a privilege granted by the Church to a p

  • indulgent

    Etymology Indulge comes from the Latin word indulgere which means to be lenient o

  • indulgence

    Etymology Late Middle English in the sense a privilege granted by the Church to a p

  • folly

    Etymology The word folly is derived from the Old French word folie which itself is d

  • luxury

    Etymology The word luxury derives from the Latin term luxus which means excess ex

  • abstinent

    Etymology The word abstinent comes from the Latin word abstinens which means refra

  • dissipation

    Etymology and Meaning The word dissipation comes from the Latin word dissipare which

  • sobriety

    Etymology Latin sobrius sober temperate Old French sobre moderate restrained

  • abstinence

    Etymology Late Middle English from Old French abstinence from Latin abstinentia from

  • classicism

    Etymology The word classicism is derived from the Latin word classicus which means

  • frolic

    Etymology Middle English froliken from Old French froliquier froliker from Old Occit

  • caper

    Etymology From Middle English capre from Old French capre fem capre masc bud

  • intemperance

    Etymology The word intemperance is derived from the Latin word intemperantia which