harassment English · revision 10601

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=1693|origins=en harass}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈhær.əs.mənt/, /həˈræs.mənt/^(LDOCE 2009)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is formed from [[harass]] and [[-ment]].^(Etymonline)^(HTOED)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The action of harassing, or the state of being harassed; vexation: 1693 in the Historical Thesaurus,^(HTOED) 1753 in Etymonline and the OED.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The specific sense, unwarranted and now often unlawful words or behaviour that cause distress or intimidation, is dated from 1953 in the Historical Thesaurus,^(HTOED) and is the sense of compounds such as ''sexual harassment'' and ''police harassment''.^(LDOCE 2009)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1693 – harassment, vexation.^(HTOED)

+ * 1753 – first OED quotation.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+ * 1953 – unlawful harassing behaviour.^(HTOED)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The act of [[harass|alt=harassing]] someone, or the state of being harassed; [[annoyance]] or [[vexation]].^(MWU 2024)^(OED 1989)

+ # Unpleasant, threatening or intimidating behaviour towards a person, often unlawful: ''police harassment''.^(LDOCE 2009)^(HTOED)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[overharassment]]

+ * [[sexual harassment]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[harass]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}