defenestration
/diːˌfɛnɪˈstreɪʃən/
noun
Origin
Latin
fenestra — window
Overview
Meaning Now
- The act of throwing someone or something out of a window.
- The formal dismissal or removal of someone from a position of authority or power.
Literal older meaning
the state of being out of a window
Language path
Latin → English
Earliest form
defenestratio
Earliest period
17th century
Journey
The term was specifically coined in the early 17th century to describe historical events in Prague, most notably the 1618 Defenestration of Prague, where Bohemian Protestant nobles threw imperial regents out of a window at Prague Castle, an event that triggered the Thirty Years' War.
Evolution
- Proto-Indo-European
*dhe-
“to set, place”
- Latin
fenestra
“window, opening”
likely from a root meaning 'to let through'
- 17th century English
defenestration
“act of throwing out of a window”
formed with de- (down/out) + fenestra + -tion (process of)
Connections
Word parts
de-
prefix
down from, away
fenestr-
root
window
-ation
suffix
process or result of
Related across languages
French
défenestration
defenestration
Italian
defenestrazione
defenestration
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Related to defenestration
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.