satisfy
Americanverb (used with object)
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to fulfill the desires, expectations, needs, or demands of (a person, the mind, etc.); give full contentment to.
The hearty meal satisfied him.
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to put an end to (a desire, want, need, etc.) by sufficient or ample provision.
The hearty meal satisfied his hunger.
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to give assurance to; convince.
to satisfy oneself by investigation.
- Synonyms:
- persuade
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to answer sufficiently, as an objection.
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to solve or dispel, as a doubt.
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to discharge fully (a debt, obligation, etc.).
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to make reparation to or for.
to satisfy an offended person; to satisfy a wrong.
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to pay (a creditor).
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Mathematics.
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to fulfill the requirements or conditions of.
to satisfy a theorem.
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(of a value of an unknown) to change (an equation) into an identity when substituted for the unknown: x = 2 satisfies 3 x = 6.
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verb (used without object)
verb
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(also intr) to fulfil the desires or needs of (a person)
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to provide amply for (a need or desire)
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to relieve of doubt; convince
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to dispel (a doubt)
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to make reparation to or for
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to discharge or pay off (a debt) to (a creditor)
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to fulfil the requirements of; comply with
you must satisfy the terms of your lease
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maths logic to fulfil the conditions of (a theorem, assumption, etc); to yield a truth by substitution of the given value
x = 3 satisfies x² – 4x + 3 = 0
Related Words
Satisfy, content refer to meeting one's desires or wishes. To satisfy is to meet to the full one's wants, expectations, etc.: to satisfy a desire to travel. To content is to give enough to keep one from being disposed to find fault or complain: to content oneself with a moderate meal.
Other Word Forms
- nonsatisfying adjective
- outsatisfy verb (used with object)
- presatisfy verb (used with object)
- satisfiable adjective
- satisfier noun
- satisfying adjective
- satisfyingly adverb
- satisfyingness noun
- supersatisfy verb (used with object)
- unsatisfiable adjective
Etymology
Origin of satisfy
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English satisfien, from Middle French satisfier, from unattested Vulgar Latin satisficāre (for Latin satisfacere “to do enough”; satisfaction ); -fy
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“That amount is more than sufficient to satisfy the judgment, plus accrued interest and enforcement costs.”
From MarketWatch
She would stop taking the jabs when she was satisfied with the way she looked.
From BBC
Beijing has abandoned several infrastructure projects and now relies almost entirely on Venezuela crude exports to satisfy its debt arrears.
Most countries have a two-step process of first obtaining a temporary visa and satisfying the residency requirements for a certain number of years, and then applying for permanent residency.
From MarketWatch
It also found that consumers who identified as upper class are nearly twice as satisfied with resolution outcomes compared with those in the middle, working, and lower classes.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
