complacency

American  

[kuhm-pley-suhn-see] / kəmˈpleɪ sən si /

Also complacence

noun

plural

complacencies

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.

   1. friendly civility; inclination to please; complaisance.

   2. a civil act.

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complacency British  

/ kəmˈpleɪsənsɪ /

noun

1. a feeling of satisfaction, esp extreme self-satisfaction; smugness

2. an obsolete word for complaisance

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Other Word Forms

• noncomplacence noun
• noncomplacency noun
• overcomplacence noun
• overcomplacency noun

Etymology

Origin of complacency

From the Medieval Latin word complacentia, dating back to 1635–45. See complacent, -cy

Explanation

The word complacency is often hurled, in a rather scornful manner, at people who are unwilling to be political. It connotes a sense of ease and contentment with the status quo. It is a rare thing to hear the word complacency used in a purely positive way; there's always a sense of scolding to it. At best it's used to convey a person's satisfaction: "Oh? No one asked you to the prom? I've been asked three times," she said with complacency. More commonly, however, it takes on a political tone, as with large bodies of people who are unwilling to protest corruption because it doesn't touch them: "He preached and argued, but it was impossible to jostle the students from their complacency."

Example Sentences

"We are constrained only by the extent that we accept the status quo through acquiescence, complacency, and limited ambition."

From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026

“As credit spreads and equities quickly approach pre-escalation levels, we suspect calls for investor complacency will be abundant in the coming weeks,” they said.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026

There's always that concern about complacency, and we saw with Francis Ngannou that Fury switched off and got caught.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

Amid a global energy crisis that has already led to fuel rationing in some Asian countries, cautious Roadrunner fans see investor complacency.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

“If this happened to one of your friends, if it happened to Sean, would you sit idly by? Would you be comfortable with your own complacency while your friend was being dehumanized?”

From "Here to Stay" by Sara Farizan