Etymograph

English

defeasible

Defeasible comes from Anglo-Norman defesaunce.

  1. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400defesaunce1
  2. Englishearliest quotation 2011defeasible1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English defeasible
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2011, Barbara C. Scholz, Philosophy of Linguistics: “Languages are acquired mainly through the exercise of defeasible…”.

Earlier history uncertain. See Wiktionary.

Lineage

  1. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400defesaunceWiktionary, English defeasible
  2. Englishearliest quotation 2011defeasibleWiktionary, English defeasible. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2011, Barbara C. Scholz, Philosophy of Linguistics: “Languages are acquired mainly through the exercise of defeasible…”

Formed from ible

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *d(w)is- ‘in two, apart’

dissuade, 10 more

through Proto-Italic *dis-

debate, discover, discipline, disciplinary, disguise, dissent, diffuse, disciple, diss, defraud, 11 more

Today it means

adj Capable of being defeated, terminated, annulled, voided or invalidated.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “defeasible”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Anglo-Norman defesaunce / defeasible

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