Dictionary.com

complacency

[ kuhm-pley-suhn-see ]
/ kəmˈpleɪ sən si /
See synonyms for complacency on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural com·pla·cen·cies.

a feeling of quiet pleasure or security, often while unaware of some potential danger, defect, or the like; self-satisfaction or smug satisfaction with an existing situation, condition, etc.
Archaic.
  1. friendly civility; inclination to please; complaisance.
  2. a civil act.

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Also com·pla·cence [kuhm-pley-suhns]. /kəmˈpleɪ səns/.

Origin of complacency

From the Medieval Latin word complacentia, dating back to 1635–45. See complacent, -cy

OTHER WORDS FROM complacency

non·com·pla·cence, nounnon·com·pla·cen·cy, noun, plural non·com·pla·cen·cies.o·ver·com·pla·cence, nouno·ver·com·pla·cen·cy, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Words related to complacency

satisfaction, smugness

British Dictionary definitions for complacency

complacency

complacence

/ (kəmˈpleɪsənsɪ) /

noun plural -cencies or -cences

a feeling of satisfaction, esp extreme self-satisfaction; smugness
an obsolete word for complaisance
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