the state of being happy, especially in a high degree; bliss.
marital felicity.
an instance of this.
a source of happiness.
a skillful faculty.
felicity of expression.
an instance or display of this.
the many felicities of the poem.
Archaic. good fortune.
happiness; joy
a cause of happiness
an appropriate expression or style
the quality or display of such expressions or style
philosophy appropriateness (of a speech act). The performative I appoint you ambassador can only possess felicity if uttered by one in whom the authority for such appointments is vested
See happiness.
1350–1400; Middle English felicite (from Anglo-French ) from Latin fēlīcitās, equivalent to fēlīci- (stem of fēlīx ) “happy” + -tās -ty 2
Felicity is a state of happiness or the quality of joy. Sitting on the roof with a telescope and iced tea on a clear, starry night is one way to find perfect felicity — a happy place. Felicity comes from the Latin fēlīcitās, meaning "happiness." A synonym for felicity is "blissfulness." People, places, and things can have felicity: "His personality was so warm and full of felicity that we felt at ease the minute we met him." Or you can be in a state of felicity: "A full stomach, a fluffy couch, and the felicity of a Sunday-afternoon nap."
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Blackhawk’s account of Native Americans over the past five centuries is among five nominees for the Mark Lynton History Prize, a $10,000 award given for work which “combines intellectual distinction with felicity of expression.”
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 28, 2024
Serenity, personal growth and felicity may not be seductive topics for a contemporary R&B record.
From New York Times ● Apr. 28, 2022
Such is the mystery of Erdrich’s work, and “The Sentence” is among her most magical novels, switching tones with the felicity of a mockingbird.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 8, 2021
Neglecting to explore this gives the viewer little reason to witness that struggle beyond the lesson of it; there must be, should be, the counterbalancing representation of felicity, and in large doses.
From Salon ● Dec. 16, 2020
“What felicity it is to hear a tune again which has made one happy!—If I mistake not that was danced at Weymouth.”
From "Emma" by Jane Austen
Dame Felicity Lott, one of Britain's best-loved sopranos, has died at the age of 79.
From BBC ● May 17, 2026
Felicity makes clear that her loyalty is to her future husband, though she keeps everyone against their will at this emergency summit.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 29, 2026
“Burn After Reading,” and lastly, it’s a deep cut, there’s this movie called “Like Crazy,” starring Felicity Jones and Anton Yelchin.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 17, 2026
Now, that vision -- starring Joel Edgerton and Felicity Jones -- is up for four Oscars, including the coveted best picture prize.
From Barron's ● Feb. 27, 2026
I said, “Mine was named Felicity Foster. I know jus’ what you going through.
From "The Journey of Little Charlie" by Christopher Paul Curtis
Through whatever felicities of matching actor to well-written role, the cast is shown off to particularly good advantage.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 29, 2023
Amid these felicities run the contradictions and tensions that have animated film since its inception.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 13, 2022
If there are stumbles along the way, there are also many felicities.
From New York Times ● Jun. 27, 2017
Just a few minutes into “Moonlight,” Jenkins has already created a masterwork, one in which the intensity of emotional experience arises from the nearly microscopic observational felicities that fill the film.
From The New Yorker ● Oct. 28, 2016
We must endeavor to smile not just with the face upon the sweet felicities of others, but with the heart.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
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.
