complacence

com·pla·cen·cy

[kuhm-pley-suhn-see]
noun, plural com·pla·cen·cies.
1.
a feeling of quiet pleasure or security, often while unaware of some potential danger, defect, or the like; self-satisfaction or smug satisfaction with an existing situation, condition, etc.
2.
Archaic.
a.
friendly civility; inclination to please; complaisance.
b.
a civil act.
Also, com·pla·cence [kuhm-pley-suhns] .


Origin:
1635–45; < Medieval Latin complacentia. See complacent, -cy

non·com·pla·cence, noun
non·com·pla·cen·cy, noun, plural non·com·pla·cen·cies.
o·ver·com·pla·cence, noun
o·ver·com·pla·cen·cy, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To complacence
00:10
Complacence is always a great word to know.
So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:
a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal.
a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
Collins
World English Dictionary
complacency or complacence (kəmˈpleɪsənsɪ) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n , pl -cencies, -cences
1.  a feeling of satisfaction, esp extreme self-satisfaction; smugness
2.  an obsolete word for complaisance
 
complacence or complacence
 
n

complacency or complacence (kəmˈpleɪsənsɪ) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n , pl -cencies, -cences
1.  a feeling of satisfaction, esp extreme self-satisfaction; smugness
2.  an obsolete word for complaisance
 
complacence or complacence
 
n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

complacence
1436, from M.L. complacentia "satisfaction, pleasure," from L. complacentem (nom. complacens), prp. of complacere "to be very pleasing," from com- intensive prefix + placere "to please." Sense of "pleased with oneself" is 18c.

complacency
1640s, from same source as complacence but with the later form of the suffix.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature
FAVORITES
RECENT