A state of hopelessness or desperation; the condition of being desperate.
From Latin desperatus (past participle of desperare, to lose hope), from de- (away from) + sperare (to hope). The -acy suffix creates nouns of state.
This formal word appears in 16th-century literature to describe the emotional state of tragic characters facing impossible situations—it captures desperation as both a condition and a moment of truth.
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