gratification
Americannoun
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the act of gratifying or the state of being gratified
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something that gratifies
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an obsolete word for gratuity
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of gratification
First recorded in 1590–1600, gratification is from the Latin word grātificātiōn- (stem of grātificātiō ). See gratify, -ation
Explanation
Pleasure is gratification, whether it’s given or received. Everyone has desires, and when those desires get fulfilled, that’s gratification. You’re reading this sentence to understand the word gratification, and soon you’ll know it back and forth, which will give you a feeling of gratification. The word comes from the Latin gratificari, meaning “give or do as a favor,” and a deeper root is gratus, which means “pleasing, thankful.” Doing a favor for someone is a surefire ways to create a sense of gratification, both for them and for yourself, being such a kind, giving person.
Vocabulary lists containing gratification
Unit 3: Compelling Evidence
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Trumps
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Excerpt from "The Philosophy of Literary Form" by Kenneth Burke
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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 diminishing returns of instant gratification might explain why catalogs are nearly always, according to trade publications and business journals, on the verge of a renaissance.
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026
Most fans of baseball, delayed gratification and compounding interest know about Bobby Bonilla Day, an annual acknowledgment of the dawn of deferred contracts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
Is he willing to make sacrifices for the long-term good, or is he susceptible to the pull of short-term gratification?
From Slate ● Jun. 2, 2026
“Deferred gratification is the hardest thing in the world,” she said.
From MarketWatch ● May 14, 2026
There would be no instant gratification, no easy triumph.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
Such support can come with deprivations as well as gratifications.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 10, 2026
It is taking individual responsibility rather than indulging in the fleeting gratifications of individualism.
From Salon ● May 14, 2023
In addition, Afzal had allegedly given gratifications totalling about $165,000 to other individuals on multiple occasions as “inducements or rewards for them to place orders with KPI for the supply of bunker fuel.”
From Reuters ● Oct. 20, 2021
The gratifications of schadenfreude are the same as they have always been, of course.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 17, 2019
His social and literary gratifications had been increased by the increase of his leisure.
From Ormond, Volume I (of 3) or, The Secret Witness by Charles Brockden Brown
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.
