Kenneth G. Wilson (1923–). The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. 1993.
condemn, contemn (vv.)
Condemn means “to judge harshly, to bring judgment against, to convict.” Contemn means “to treat with contempt, to scorn or despise.” It is infrequent and often considered a “literary” word, and it is sometimes mistaken for a misspelling of condemn. Let context help your readers recognize contemn: The neighbors contemned our failure to maintain our property. See POETIC.
