equanimity

[ee-kwuh-nim-i-tee, ek-wuh-]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR equanimity ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

mental or emotional stability or composure, especially under tension or strain; calmness; equilibrium.

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Nearby words

Origin of equanimity

1600–10; < Latin aequanimitās, equivalent to aequ(us) even, plain, equal + anim(us) mind, spirit, feelings + -itās -ity

Synonyms for equanimity

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR equanimity ON THESAURUS.COM

serenity, self-possession, aplomb.

Antonyms for equanimity

panic, disquiet, discomposure, agitation.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for equanimity

The war has seen 100,000 deaths; it is not to the credit of journalists that we can write such words and keep our equanimity.
Kerry: Sending a Message to Whom?|Bernard Avishai|August 30, 2013|DAILY BEAST
They accept with equanimity the true horror of aging alone, sundered from family and community.
No Country for Old People: ‘Kings Point’ Exposes the Hidden Elder Crisis|Donald A. Davidoff|February 16, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Garland added with an equanimity that comes with age that there are good and bad in every profession.
Alleged Nanny Killing, ‘Cannibal Cop,’ Present a New York Gone Mad|Michael Daly|October 26, 2012|DAILY BEAST
When his mistress read of the impending marriage in a newspaper, she accepted her fate with equanimity.
Oral History: The Sex Lives of the Kings and Queens of England|Tom Sykes|July 10, 2012|DAILY BEAST

He parried every question and implication that Wallace threw at him with equanimity, humility, politeness, and even humor.
Was Mike Wallace’s Toughest Interview a 12-Year-Old Kid?|Catie Lazarus|April 14, 2012|DAILY BEAST
He regarded him as a follower of the evil one, and could not hear his name mentioned with equanimity.
Masters in Art, Part 79, Volume 7, July, 1906: Ingres|Anonymous
But Mayo looked forward to his meeting with Polly Candage without feeling that equanimity which the father had inspired.
Blow The Man Down|Holman Day
Horace Greeley could wear a linen duster with grace and equanimity.
The Man Who Pleases and the Woman Who Charms|John A. Cone
Frank Kennedy was not a man to stand this unexpected miscarriage of his eloquence with equanimity.
The Young Fur Traders|R.M. Ballantyne
His adherents began to tremble; and he himself had occasion for all his art and equanimity.
The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol.II.|Tobias Smollett

British Dictionary definitions for equanimity

equanimity

noun

calmness of mind or temper; composure

Derived Formsequanimous (ɪˈkwænɪməs), adjectiveequanimously, adverb

Word Origin for equanimity

C17: from Latin aequanimitās, from aequus even, equal + animus mind, spirit

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for equanimity

c.1600, "fairness, impartiality," from French équanimité, from Latin aequanimitatem (nominative aequanimitas) "evenness of mind, calmness," from aequus "even, level" (see equal (adj.)) + animus "mind, spirit" (see animus). Meaning "evenness of temper" in English is from 1610s.