despite

American  

[dih-spahyt] / dɪˈspaɪt /

preposition

1. in spite of; notwithstanding.

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noun

1. contemptuous treatment; insult.

2. malice, hatred, or spite.

verb (used with object)

despited, despiting

1. Obsolete. to anger or annoy (someone) out of spite.

idioms

1. in despite of, in spite of; notwithstanding.

   He was tolerant in despite of his background and education.

despite British  

/ dɪˈspaɪt /

preposition

1. in spite of; undeterred by

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noun

1. archaic contempt; insult

2. rare (preposition) in spite of

verb

1. (tr) an archaic word for spite

Related Words

See notwithstanding.

Etymology

Origin of despite

First recorded in 1250–1300; originally in despite of; Middle English despit, from Old French, from Latin dēspectus “view from a height, scorn,” originally past participle of dēspicere; see despicable ( def. )

Explanation

Despite is used as a preposition when something happens even though it might have been prevented by something else. You might go see a movie despite hearing a negative review of it. Despite is just one letter away from despise, and they actually share a root: the Latin verb despicere, meaning "to look down on scornfully." Despite came to mean "contempt" or "scorn" in English, though that use as a noun has mostly dropped out of use. The phrase "in despite of" gradually got shortened to the preposition despite and lost its scornful quality. If you accomplish something despite the obstacles in your way, there's no need to feel spiteful about it.

Example Sentences

"Even today, despite the complexities of borders, population densities and social inequalities, humans continue to migrate for the same fundamental reasons: to find more favorable areas, reunite with loved ones and join mutual aid networks."

From Science Daily • Apr. 28, 2026

“Please be aware that, despite our best efforts, no security measures are perfect or impenetrable.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 28, 2026

Meta garners significant revenues from Chinese advertisers who target consumers outside China, despite Facebook and other Meta apps being blocked in the country.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

He is another of the outstanding candidates despite his 379 runs at an average of 75.80 coming in Somerset's middle order.

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026

But despite the curious items we discover, the castle is not entertaining.

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

• in spite of
• regardless of