complacence
complacence Lexical Profile
complacence Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A feeling of smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one's achievements, often accompanied by a lack of awareness of actual dangers or deficiencies.
"Years of uninterrupted market dominance bred a dangerous complacence among the company's senior executives."
Calm, quiet pleasure or peaceful contentment.
"She watched the sunset from the porch with a quiet sense of complacence."
Word Nuance & Usage
"Complacence" and "complacency" are interchangeable, though "complacency" is far more common in modern English. Do not confuse it with "complaisance," which means a polite willingness to please others.
• Rhymes for complacence
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the mid-17th century from Medieval Latin complacentia, from Latin complacēre ('to be very pleasing'), formed from com- (intensive prefix) and placēre ('to please').