Wins against someone in a contest or battle, or causes someone to fail or lose confidence.
From Old French 'defait' (undone) from Latin 'defacere' (to undo). The word originally meant to undo or unmake, then evolved to mean overcoming in competition.
The word 'defeat' comes from literally 'undoing' someone—in medieval times, defeating an opponent meant literally destroying their armor and strategy, which is why total defeat felt like unmaking rather than just losing.
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