in contempt

phrase

: in the state of having been found guilty of the offense of contempt
refused to appear and was held in contempt

Examples of in contempt in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Johnson had also issued an arrest warrant against him in March, ruling him in contempt of court at that time over failing to turn over the financial documents, including state and federal tax returns along with bank statements and other filings. — Lucas Aulbach, Louisville Courier Journal, 4 Sep. 2026 Top Republican and Democratic members of the panel condemned Black’s defiance and are weighing whether to hold him in contempt of Congress, a move that could expose him to criminal prosecution. — Joey Cappelletti, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026 Lawyers for players said Tuesday night that the SEC’s rule put the NCAA in contempt, but as of Wednesday afternoon had not filed suit against the SEC. — Seth Emerson, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026 Last Friday, Fauci declined a request to appear voluntarily before a second Senate panel after majority Republicans on the Homeland Security Committee voted along partisan lines to hold him in contempt of Congress. — ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for in contempt

Word History

First Known Use

1649, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of in contempt was in 1649

Rhymes for in contempt

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Browse Nearby Words

in contemplation
in contempt
in contention
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“In contempt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20contempt. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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