copacetic
Americanadjective
adjective
Usage
What does copacetic mean? Copacetic means fine, OK, agreeable, totally satisfactory. Copacetic is a (somewhat dated) slang word usually used to describe a situation, mood, or relationship as being without problems. It’s also spelled copasetic. Example: I was worried the concert was going to go badly, but John assured me everything was totally copacetic.
Etymology
Origin of copacetic
An Americanism first recorded in 1915–20; of obscure origin; popular attributions of the word to Louisiana French, Italian, Hebrew, etc., lack supporting evidence
Explanation
When something's copacetic, it's fine. If you tell a classroom full of kids that they'll be spending the day at the beach instead of going to math class, they'll probably be copacetic with the idea. When things are going well, they're copacetic. The adjective copacetic can describe the general mood of a group or gathering, a relationship between two people, or even the harmonies in a piece of music, with a meaning ranging from "just fine" to "excellent." Copacetic is considered an informal word, but it's been commonly used since around 1920. Its origins are unknown, but it's thought that it started in the 19th century in casual southern African American speech.
Vocabulary lists containing copacetic
Bud, Not Buddy
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The Sun Is Also a Star
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Ben Zimmer's 30 Great American Words
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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.
It took the department just four months to assure the governor that everything was copacetic.
From Slate ● Jan. 14, 2025
Using my newfound powers of tree awareness, I have been able to focus on ecologically copacetic trees that are not so much awesome as sublime.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 1, 2023
When things calmed down — and after they made fun of the school as a pretentious country club — it was Elizabeth who was more copacetic about their child leaving.
From New York Times ● May 2, 2017
So O’Reilly’s out, but who’s still copacetic at Fox News, mused Maher?
From Salon ● Apr. 22, 2017
He said, “Good, ’cause if you’re going to be traveling with us it just wouldn’t look too copacetic for you to be carrying that ratty old bag.”
From "Bud, Not Buddy" by Christopher Paul Curtis
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
