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Respite Has Latin Roots
Everyone needs a little R & R from time to time. That's where respite comes in handy: this word was first used in the 14th century to refer to a delay or extension asked for or granted for a specific reason, such as to give someone time to deliberate on a proposal. This kind of respite offered an opportunity for the kind of consideration inherent in this word's etymology: respite traces from the Latin term respectus (also the source of English's respect), which comes from respicere, a verb with both concrete and abstract meanings: "to turn around to look at" or "to regard." Within a few decades of its earliest known use, English speakers had granted respite the sense we use most often today—"a welcome break."
Examples of respite in a Sentence
Martha Southgate, The Fall of Rome, 2002
Six years more of toil they had to face before they could expect the least respite, the cessation of the payments upon the house …
—Upton Sinclair, The Jungle, 1906
The laborer's day ends with the going down of the sun … but his employer, who speculates from month to month, has no respite from one end of the year to the other.
—Henry David Thoreau, Walden, 1854
The bad weather has continued without respite.
Bryan Mena, CNN, 22 Nov. 2024
The facility, with its winding paths surrounded by greenery, serves as a place to learn about and appreciate nature while getting a respite from the rush of city life.
—Killian Baarlaer, The Courier-Journal, 14 Nov. 2024
Jason Deparle, New York Times, 10 June 2024
But on respite night, they are encouraged to lead the way, buddies following their whims.
—Linda Friedel, Kansas City Star, 31 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for respite 
Dictionary Entries Near respite
Cite this Entry
“Respite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/respite. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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respite
noun
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