contentment
Americannoun
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the state of being contented; satisfaction; ease of mind.
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Archaic. the act of making contentedly satisfied.
Related Words
See happiness.
Other Word Forms
- overcontentment noun
- precontentment noun
Etymology
Origin of contentment
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English contentement, from Middle French; see content 2 ( def. ), -ment ( def. )
Compare meaning
How does contentment compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Contentment is the state of being happy and satisfied. On Thanksgiving when you think about all you are grateful for, hopefully you feel a sense of contentment. If not, have another piece of pie and then you’ll feel contentment. Contentment isn’t an excited kind of happy, it’s more like a peaceful ease of mind. It’s being satisfied with what you have, whatever that is. You might feel a sense of contentment knowing you have a cup of hot chocolate and a good movie to look forward to tonight. Or you might experience contentment thinking about the vast estate you just purchased in the Hamptons. Whatever is going on in your life, you’re pleased about it.
Vocabulary lists containing contentment
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
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Words for the International Day of Happiness
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Excerpts from "To Kill a Mockingbird"
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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.
Beside him, Tuipulotu was measured and focused, a picture of contentment after a job spectacularly well done, while giving off the vibe that there's another, even bigger job, to do on Saturday.
From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026
I had imagined that retirement would offer a life unshackled at last, a blissful new chapter in which workplace anxiety no longer sullied my contentment.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026
Aleys acknowledges the contentment of the Beguines, understanding that their communal labors knit their “hopes, their labor, even their disagreements” as “strands in a single weave.”
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 4, 2026
We chase happiness when what we should be seeking is contentment.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 21, 2026
The hiss of waves breaking at her ankles is a gentle sigh, as if the sea itself has found lasting contentment.
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
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.
