complaisance

American  

[kuhm-pley-suhns, -zuhns, kom-pluh-zans] / kəmˈpleɪ səns, -zəns, ˈkɒm pləˌzæns /

noun

1. the quality of being complaisant.

2. a complaisant act.

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Other Word Forms

• noncomplaisance noun
• uncomplaisance noun

Etymology

Origin of complaisance

From French, dating back to 1645–55; complaisant, -ance

Example Sentences

The flames that destroyed this woman were in the hope that more of us would search the dark corners of our own souls and question our complaisance and complicity in the destruction of human life.

From Salon

Or maybe the way to think about it is that she right-sized her career, away from the silly and grim expectations of complaisance that come with universal acclaim and toward a more earnest plane.

From New York Times

“The hope for a privileged relationship demanded big gestures and compromises, special restraint and complaisance of the tango partners,” Aleksandr Baunov wrote in an opinion piece on the analytical website Carnegie.ru, of which he is editor.

From New York Times

There are more emphatic reasons for the market’s complaisance.

From New York Times

Mason warned about a “false complaisance” that would make Senators reluctant to oppose a nominee if that meant openly sparring with the president.

From The Wall Street Journal