Condign

Condign is an adjective meaning deserved or fitting, especially with regard to punishment. A condign punishment is one that is deserved and appropriately severe for the offense. In broader moral or theological contexts, condign justice can refer to penalties deemed fitting to moral guilt.

Etymology and history: The term derives from Latin condignus, meaning worthy or fitting, and entered English via Old French condigne and Middle English. It has long carried a formal, often legal or religious connotation and is now relatively rare outside those contexts.

Usage: In modern prose, condign is primarily found in formal, literary, or scholarly writing. It emphasizes that a consequence—usually punishment—is proportionate to the offense and deserved. The phrase condign punishment is widely understood, though the word itself can sound archaic or ceremonial in everyday speech. In contemporary usage, synonyms such as deserved, merited, or proportionate are more common, while condign is reserved for stylistic effect or precise moral framing.

See also: retribution, proportionality in punishment, merited justice.