Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “encouragement” come from?

Encouragement comes from Middle French encoragement, meaning the act of giving courage or confidence to someone.

encouragement (English): The act of encouraging; Something that incites,...

Definitions

  1. The act of encouraging; Something that incites,...

Ancestry of “encouragement”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchencoragement—

Words derived from “encouragement”

  • disencouragement
  • overencouragement
Every word from Middle French encoragement →