ignoblenessn.
/ɪɡˈnəʊblnəs/, U.S. /ɪɡˈnoʊb(ə)lnəs/ Meanness or baseness of character; ignobility. Also: lowness of birth, lack of nobility.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > contempt > ignobleness or baseness > [noun]
villainyc1386
simplessea1393
littlenessa1400
unnoblenessc1400
unnobilitya1425
unnobletya1425
ignoblenessc1450
ignobility?a1475
vileness1549
vilityc1550
haskardy?1578
dunghillry1581
indignity1589
beggarya1616
ignoblesse?1616
poorness1625
lowness1652
meanness1660
society > society and the community > social class > the common people > low rank or condition > [noun]
lowness?c1225
unnobleyc1384
noughtc1400
ignoblenessc1450
innoblessea1470
deuce-ace1481
ignobility1483
dunghill1537
vilityc1550
baseness1552
humility1623
non-class1973
society > morality > moral evil > evil nature or character > lack of magnanimity or noble-mindedness > [noun] > baseness or moral vileness
vilety?c1225
villainy?c1225
vilehead1340
caitiftya1400
vilitya1425
ignoblenessc1450
ignobility?a1475
vileness1526
baseness1537
dunghillry1581
base-mindedness1582
vildness1597
beggarya1616
lowness1652
villainya1719
caddishness1868
bounderishness1899
c1450 J. Metham Physiognomy in Wks. (1916) 134 Yche fulle face..betokynnyth ferfullnes, voluptuusnes, ignobylnes.
1625 K. Long tr. J. Barclay Argenis i. xiv. 39 Wilt thou staine by the ignoblenesse [L. ignobilitate] of the skirmish, eyther thy death or victory?
a1661 B. Holyday in tr. Juvenal Satyres (1673) Illustr. 71 The Poet..desires to be but fraterculus, rather then frater..least he should seem to wish for their gigantick vastness of body, as well as for their Ignobleness.
1741 C. Middleton Hist. Life Cicero II. ix. 329 [Antony] Reproached him with the ignobleness of his birth.
1867 Daily National Intelligencer (Washington) 23 Mar. Here..we are too fully imbued with the true American spirit to yield to any such ignobleness.
1914 L. Woolf Wise Virgins (2003) iii. 41 The foulness and ignobleness of one's own thoughts.
2013 Kirkus Rev. (Nexis) 15 July Amid all the ignobleness, readers will have difficulty finding a sympathetic character or a redeeming sentiment.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2022).
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n.c1450