Meanings
plural complacencies · alternative archaic complacence
- countableuncountableA feeling of contented self-satisfaction, especially when unaware of upcoming trouble.
"However, incidents such as the derailment at Walton-on-Thames clearly show us that there is no room for complacency."
2025 March 5, “Network News: RAIB report: rail left on the track derailed train travelling at 85mph”, in RAIL, number 1030, page 133 more examples
Others proclaim the infirmities of a great man with satisfaction and complacency, if they discover none of the like in themselves.
1712 January 3 (Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison; Richard Steele et al.], “SUNDAY, December 24, 1711”, in The Spectator, number 256; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume III, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, →OCLC[…] looking at Mr. George Osborne's pale interesting countenance, and those beautiful black, curling, shining whiskers, which the young gentleman himself regarded with no ordinary complacency, she thought in her little heart that in His Majesty's army, or in the wide world, there never was such a face or such a hero.
1847 January – 1848 July, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 5, in Vanity Fair […], London: Bradbury and Evans […], published 1848, →OCLCThere was something pathetic in his concentration as if his complacency, more acute than of old, was not enough to him any more. When, almost immediately, the telephone rang inside and the butler left the porch Daisy seized upon the momentary interruption and leaned toward me.
1925, F[rancis] Scott Fitzgerald, chapter 1, in The Great Gatsby, New York, N.Y.: Charles Scribner’s Sons, published 1953, →ISBN - countableuncountableAn instance of self-satisfaction.
- countableuncountablePassivity as a result of contentment with the current situation.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounthe feeling you have when you are satisfied with yourself
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Late Latincomplacentia
- Middle Englishcomplacence
- Englishcomplacency
Late Middle English complacence, from Late Latin complacentia. Compare French complaisance.
More words from Middle English, Late Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 自滿 /自满
- 自滿 /自满 (zìmǎn)feeling of self-satisfaction
Czech samolibost, sebeuspokojení
- samolibostfeeling of self-satisfaction
- sebeuspokojenífeeling of self-satisfaction
- uspokojenífeeling of self-satisfaction
Dutch zelfgenoegzaamheid, zelftevredenheid
- zelfgenoegzaamheidfeeling of self-satisfaction
- zelftevredenheidfeeling of self-satisfaction
Esperanto memkontento
- memkontentofeeling of self-satisfaction
Finnish mielihyvä, tyytyväisyys
- mielihyväfeeling of self-satisfaction
- tyytyväisyysfeeling of self-satisfaction
- itsetyytyväisyysfeeling of self-satisfaction
French complaisance, suffisance
- complaisanceinstance of self-satisfaction
- suffisancefeeling of self-satisfaction
German Selbstgefälligkeit, Selbstzufriedenheit
- Selbstgefälligkeitfeeling of self-satisfaction
- Selbstzufriedenheitfeeling of self-satisfaction
- Bequemlichkeitfeeling of self-satisfaction
- Wohlbehagenfeeling of self-satisfaction
Greek εφησυχασμός, αυταρέσκεια
- εφησυχασμός (efisychasmós)feeling of self-satisfaction
- αυταρέσκεια (aftaréskeia)feeling of self-satisfaction
Hungarian önteltség, önhittség
- önteltségfeeling of self-satisfaction
- önhittségfeeling of self-satisfaction
- önelégültségfeeling of self-satisfaction
- elégedettségfeeling of self-satisfaction
Icelandic sjálfumgleði, sjálfsánægja
- sjálfumgleðifeeling of self-satisfaction
- sjálfsánægjafeeling of self-satisfaction
Italian autocompiacimento, compiacimento
- autocompiacimentofeeling of self-satisfaction
- compiacimentofeeling of self-satisfaction
- autostimafeeling of self-satisfaction
Norwegian Bokmål selvtilfredshet
- selvtilfredshetfeeling of self-satisfaction
Persian خودرضامندی
- خودرضامندی (xod-rezâ-mandi)feeling of self-satisfaction
Polish samozadowolenie, samozadowolenie
- samozadowolenieinstance of self-satisfaction
- samozadowoleniefeeling of self-satisfaction
Portuguese desvanecimento
- desvanecimentofeeling of self-satisfaction
Romanian automulțumire, autoîncântare
- automulțumirefeeling of self-satisfaction
- autoîncântarefeeling of self-satisfaction
Russian самодово́льство, самоуве́ренность
- самодово́льство (samodovólʹstvo)feeling of self-satisfaction
- самоуве́ренность (samouvérennostʹ)feeling of self-satisfaction
Scottish Gaelic somaltachd
- somaltachdfeeling of self-satisfaction
Spanish suficiencia, autocomplacencia
- suficienciafeeling of self-satisfaction
- autocomplacenciafeeling of self-satisfaction
Swedish självbelåtenhet
- självbelåtenhetfeeling of self-satisfaction
Turkish rehavet
- rehavetfeeling of self-satisfaction
Ukrainian самозадово́леність, самовдово́леність
- самозадово́леність (samozadovólenistʹ)feeling of self-satisfaction
- самовдово́леність (samovdovólenistʹ)feeling of self-satisfaction
Cite this entry
complacency. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/complacency
“complacency.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/complacency. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “complacency,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/complacency.
Source: complacency on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.