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

For Aurora, the widening of the bombing campaign and the prospect of boots on the ground remain key risks to all of the market’s calmness and complacency.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026

Americans take for granted that the volunteer force will keep them safe, and the military’s performance can create a sense of complacency about the world’s threats.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

This was a measure of how low defence and security had fallen in the nation's priorities - and a measure, too, of the complacency into which much of Europe had sunk.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

There was something pathetic in his concentration as if his complacency, more acute than of old, was not enough to him any more.

From " The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald