Legal Definitions - disparagare

Disparagare is a verb that comes from Law Latin and Law French. It has two historical meanings:

1. To disparage someone or something, which means to speak about them in a negative or critical way that makes them seem less important or valuable.
2. To bring together people who are not equal, especially in terms of their social status or lineage, such as arranging a marriage between people of unequal rank.

For example:

• She disparaged her colleague's work in front of their boss, making it seem like they were not capable of doing their job well.
• In medieval times, it was common for noble families to arrange marriages that would disparage their lineage, such as marrying a commoner or someone from a lower-ranking family.

These examples illustrate how disparagare can be used to describe both verbal and social actions that involve making someone or something seem less important or valuable.