contemnō

1. Spernimus rejicienda, fugienda ut libidines. Contemnimus magna, metuenda ut pericula, mortem. Despicimus infra nos posita, ut vulgi opiniones; according to Lambinus. Or, spernere, spernari, aspernari (ἐκπέραίνειν) mean, not to care for a thing, in opp. to appetere, concupisse, Cic. Fin. ii. 10, 51. Plaut. Mil. iv. 2, 59, something like ἀποβάλλειν; whereas contemnere, poetically temnere (from temere), not to fear a thing, in opp. to timere, metuere, Cic. Fam. vii. 32. Att. ii. 24. Sen. Prov. 6. Tac. H. ii. 92, like καταφρονεῖν; lastly, despicere, despectare, not to value a thing, in opp. to suspicere, revereri, admirari. Cic. Off. ii. 11, 38. Tac. Ann. ii. 43, like ὀλιγωρεῖν. 2. Spernere denotes despising, as an inward feeling, synonymously with parvi putare, negligere; spernari, and the more usual word, aspernari, as an utterance of that feeling, synonymously with recusare, abnuere, rejicere, like waving from one. In spernere, the notion of holding cheap predominates; in aspernari, that of aversion or rejection. Spernere refers to an object which is at one’s command; aspernari, to something offered to us, or obtruded upon us. 3. Aspernari is confined to the simple avowal of aversion; whereas recusare includes the decided declaration of unwillingness. Curt. vi. 6, 7. Principes aspernantes quidem, sed recusare non ausos Persicis ornaverat vestibus. 4. The spernens follows a moral and rational aversion, and acts more or less with a consciousness of his grounds for despising anything; whereas the fastidiens follows a physical and instinctive aversion, whether it be an innate or temporary antipathy, which arises either from an actual loathing, or from what appears like it; lastly, the negligens follows the suggestion neither of reason, nor yet of instinct and feeling, but acts without thought or purpose. (ii. 178.)