refuse etymology

Etymology:

  • Old French: refus, refuser
  • Latin: refutare, "to refute, reject, oppose"
  • Proto-Indo-European: *pre-bʰu-, "to push away with pre-"

Meaning:

  1. To decline to accept, receive, or use something.
  2. To reject or oppose a proposal, request, or idea.
  3. To resist, withstand, or repel.

Origin:

The word "refuse" entered English through Old French in the late 13th century. Its ultimate Indo-European origin is related to the word "pre," meaning "before" or "away." The sense of "to push away" with "pre-" is evident in the Latin verb "refutare," which means "to reject, refute, or oppose."

Extended Meanings:

In addition to its core meaning, "refuse" has acquired several extended meanings:

  • Trash: Discarded or unwanted materials.
  • To deny: To withhold or not grant something requested or needed.
  • To resist: To show resistance or opposition to something.
  • To be unwilling: To have no desire to do something.
  • To refuse to acknowledge: To deny the validity or existence of something.

refuse relate terms

  • refusal

    Etymology of Refusal The word refusal comes from the Latin word refutare which mea

  • refuse

    Etymology Old French refus refuser Latin refutare to refute reject oppose Proto

  • refusenik

    Etymology and Origin Refusenik is a compound word derived from two Russian words Refu

  • refuse

    Etymology Old French refus refuser Latin refutare to refute reject oppose Proto

  • defy

    Etymology The word defy originates from the Old French word desfier meaning to chal

  • resist

    Etymology The word resist comes from the Latin word resistere which means to stand

  • resist

    Etymology The word resist comes from the Latin word resistere which means to stand

  • deny

    Etymology Middle English denien denyen from Anglo Norman French denier denyer from

  • recuse

    Etymology The word recuse comes from the Latin verb recusare meaning to refuse or

  • reject

    Etymology Old French rejecter Latin reiectare Prefix re back iactare to thro

  • offal

    Etymology The English word offal is derived from the Old French word offaille which

  • decline

    Etymology The word decline originates from the Old French word decliner which in tur

  • disobey

    Etymology of Disobey Middle English desobeien Old French desobéir Latin disobedir

  • sister

    Etymology Old English sweostor Proto Germanic swestr Proto Indo European swesor Mea