gratification
Americannoun
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the act of gratifying or the state of being gratified
-
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.
“Obsession” has ideas about our age of instant gratification and parasocial idealization fueled by social media that the film never manages to do anything more than wag a finger at.
From Salon • Jun. 4, 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
“Instant gratification doesn’t have to run your life.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026
“Deferred gratification is the hardest thing in the world,” she said.
From MarketWatch • May 14, 2026
At its heart lies a theory Wagner drew from Schopenhauer, from Buddhism and from Christianity, that self-enlightenment, or personal redemption, is achieved by denying oneself gratification, resisting temptation and seeking an understanding of fellow-suffering.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
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.
