content
1 Americannoun
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Usually contents.
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something that is contained.
the contents of a box.
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the subjects or topics covered in a book or document.
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the chapters or other formal divisions of a book or document.
a table of contents.
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something that is to be expressed through some medium, as speech, writing, or any of various arts.
a poetic form adequate to a poetic content.
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significance or profundity; meaning.
a clever play that lacks content.
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substantive information or creative material viewed in contrast to its actual or potential manner of presentation.
publishers, record companies, and other content providers; a flashy website, but without much content.
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that which may be perceived in something.
the latent versus the manifest content of a dream.
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Philosophy, Logic. the sum of the attributes or notions comprised in a given conception; the substance or matter of cognition.
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power of containing; holding capacity.
The bowl's content is three quarts.
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volume, area, or extent; size.
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the amount contained.
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Linguistics. the system of meanings or semantic values specific to a language (opposed to expression).
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Mathematics. the greatest common divisor of all the coefficients of a given polynomial.
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any abstraction of the concept of length, area, or volume.
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adjective
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satisfied with what one is or has; not wanting more or anything else.
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British. agreeing; assenting.
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Archaic. willing.
verb (used with object)
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contents,
present (3rd person singular)
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contented,
past participle, past
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contenting
present participle
noun
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the state or feeling of being contented; satisfaction; contentment.
His content was threatened.
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(in the British House of Lords) an affirmative vote or voter.
noun
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(often plural) everything that is inside a container
the contents of a box
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(usually plural)
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the chapters or divisions of a book
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a list, printed at the front of a book, of chapters or divisions together with the number of the first page of each
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the meaning or significance of a poem, painting, or other work of art, as distinguished from its style or form
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all that is contained or dealt with in a discussion, piece of writing, etc; substance
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the capacity or size of a thing
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the proportion of a substance contained in an alloy, mixture, etc
the lead content of petrol
adjective
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mentally or emotionally satisfied with things as they are
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assenting to or willing to accept circumstances, a proposed course of action, etc
verb
noun
interjection
Synonym Usage
See satisfy.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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contentsimple
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contentssimple
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have contentedperfect
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has contentedperfect
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am contentingprogressive
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are contentingprogressive
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is contentingprogressive
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have been contentingperfect progressive
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has been contentingperfect progressive
Past
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contentedsimple
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had contentedperfect
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was contentingprogressive
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were contentingprogressive
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had been contentingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of content1
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English (from Anglo-French ), from Medieval Latin contentum, noun use of neuter of Latin contentus (past participle of continēre “to contain”), equivalent to con- “with, together” + ten- “hold” + -tus past participle suffix; see con-
Origin of content2
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin contentus “satisfied,” special use of past participle of continēre; see content 1
Explanation
If you feel content, you're satisfied and happy. The content of a book, movie, or song is what it's about: the topic. This word has two main meanings. The first has to do with being pleased and satisfied (feeling content) or making someone else feel happy and at peace with things (contenting them). The other meaning has to do with subject matter: the content of a history class might be American history. The content of a math class might be geometry. As long as there's a topic or subject, there's content.
Vocabulary lists containing content
Unit 1: Telling Details
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"Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare, Act I
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Unit 1: Telling Details
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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.
See Examples For:
The artists who my colleagues and I interviewed as part of our research on content creators did – and many went on to question whether it was worth it.
From Salon ● Aug. 30, 2026
Picking wild mushrooms from Epping Forest in Essex is banned under by-laws but fungi-related content has surged in popularity online.
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026
Only a handful of US states mandate teaching of it, leading to a patchwork of different content and approaches across the country, so volunteers, teachers and charities are stepping up.
From Barron's ● Aug. 30, 2026
Last year, it launched Good Good Girls, which posts similar content starring several women who played collegiate golf.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026
Below is a rubric for evaluating multicultural music material including the content of the text, notation, and any recording.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
The Times said its unclassified contents were confirmed by several lawyers who had seen it.
From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026
Will we receive the contents of her safe-deposit box when she dies?
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026
This week the meal box came with a container of harissa sauce splattered over its contents.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
In agriculture, fertilizers can be enclosed inside PHA beads that gradually release their contents as the plastic breaks down.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 17, 2026
I poked through its contents until I found my father’s pocket watch and traced my thumb over the case’s familiar dings and scratches.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
Many fans have blamed her relationship with Kelce, suggesting that the couple’s contented monogamy means Swift has lost her edge as the queen of heartbreak songs.
From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026
Now, though, he’s a contented family man operating a successful neighborhood bistro called Chez Paul—until fate comes calling and returns him to a life he’d just as soon forget.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 21, 2026
She’d jump in the car happily, give her captor a toothy grin and then curl into a contented nap, probably dreaming of her next escape.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2025
He’s the contented “Innie” to the miserable “Outie” version of himself, the one so paralyzed by his wife’s death that he chose to surgically divorce his work life from the mess of his personal time.
From Salon ● Jan. 17, 2025
As far as he could remember, Sam slept through the night in deep content, if logs are contented.
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
Verstappen has reeled off four consecutive podium finishes and won three of the last four Austin races, only missing out last year when Ferrari claimed a one-two, contenting himself instead with a sprint race win.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2025
By 2020, Zawahiri had become increasingly distant, contenting himself to write books and essays and only rarely appearing on video.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 1, 2022
He’s been playing it safe in Brooklyn, contenting himself with his Ma, his girlfriend and a modest managerial job at Starbucks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 29, 2020
He ate “selectively and moderately at the Kremlin dinner” and “also stayed off the vodka contenting himself with some large gulps of red wine,” according to the note.
From The Guardian ● Jul. 17, 2019
When he saw that the chase had stopped he slowed a little, soon contenting himself with rapid walking.
From A Hero of Romance by Richard Marsh
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.
