prescindir
Lemma Details
Translation: to do without; to dispense with; to forgo; to omit; to disregard
Part of Speech: verb
Etymology: From Latin 'praescindere', composed of 'prae-' (before) and 'scindere' (to cut, split). The English cognate 'rescind' shares the same Latin root 'scindere'. While 'rescind' means to cancel or revoke, 'prescindir' evolved to mean cutting something out of consideration or use. This etymological connection helps understand how the concept of 'cutting away' developed into the modern meaning of doing without something.
Commonality: 60%
Guessability: 30%
Register: neutral
Example Usage
No podemos prescindir de su ayuda.
We cannot do without your help.
El gobierno decidió prescindir de esos servicios.
The government decided to dispense with those services.
Prescindió de las formalidades y fue directo al punto.
He dispensed with formalities and went straight to the point.
Es imposible prescindir del oxígeno para vivir.
It's impossible to do without oxygen to live.
Mnemonics
- Think of 'pre-scind' as 'pre-cutting' something out of your life or consideration.
- Connect it to 'rescind' in English (to cancel) - both involve removing something.
- Remember the phrase 'I can prescind from luxury' to recall its meaning of 'doing without'.
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Synonyms
Cultural Context
In Spanish, 'prescindir' is almost always followed by the preposition 'de' and is commonly used in formal contexts such as business, academia, and official communications. It's often used when discussing the elimination of unnecessary elements or when someone chooses to forgo something.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While 'prescindir' means 'to do without', 'preceder' means 'to precede' or 'to come before'. They look similar but have completely different meanings.
Confused word:
La introducción precede al primer capítulo.
The introduction precedes the first chapter.
Notes: Both verbs begin with 'pre-' but have different Latin roots and meanings.
Mnemonic: PreSCINDir cuts something out; preCEDEr comes before (like 'precede' in English).
Explanation: 'Prescindir' means 'to do without' while 'presidir' means 'to preside over' or 'to chair'. They differ by just one letter but have unrelated meanings.
Notes: The pronunciation difference is subtle but important.
Mnemonic: PreSCINDir has an 'sc' like 'scissors' - cutting something out; preSIDir has 'sid' like 'sit' - sitting at the head of a meeting.