Authoritative answer
Exact answer
Villain came from Medieval Latin villanus, a person attached to a villa or farm, through Anglo-French; its moral sense developed later.
Scope: Recorded English etymology and sense history; reviewed July 31, 2026.
Important boundary: The historical class label and the modern fictional antagonist are different stages of meaning.
Evidence
Quick answer
A short etymology card for villain: origin, meaning history, memorable hook, and source-language context.
Source-first
Reviewed Sep 2026
Origin story
Originally a farm worker or villager, later a low-born person, then a wicked character.
Why it sticks
Class contempt hardened into moral vocabulary.
Shareable cardVillain: Class contempt hardened into moral vocabulary.