"unworthy treatment; act intended to lower the dignity of another," 1580s, from Latin indignitatem (nominative indignitas) "unworthiness, meanness, baseness," also "unworthy conduct, an outrage," noun of quality from indignus "unworthy," from in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + dignus "worth (n.), worthy, proper, fitting," from PIE *dek-no-, suffixed form of root *dek- "to take, accept." Related: Indignities.