Disadvantages or negative aspects of something, often used in the phrase 'pros and cons.' Also slang for convicts or confidence tricks.
Short for Latin 'contra' meaning 'against,' used in the phrase 'pro and con' (for and against) since the 16th century. The criminal sense comes from 'convict' or 'confidence man,' both shortened to 'con' in the 20th century.
The word 'cons' creates a fascinating triple meaning in English - disadvantages, criminals, and tricks - all connected by the idea of something working 'against' you. This semantic clustering around opposition shows how languages naturally group related negative concepts together.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.