Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

satisfaction

American  
[sat-is-fak-shuhn] / ˌsæt ɪsˈfæk ʃən /

noun

  1. an act of satisfying; fulfillment; gratification.

  2. the state of being satisfied; contentment.

    Synonyms:
    enjoyment, comfort, pleasure
    Antonyms:
    discontent, displeasure

  3. the cause or means of being satisfied.

  4. confident acceptance of something as satisfactory, dependable, true, etc.

  5. reparation or compensation, as for a wrong or injury.

    Synonyms:
    recompense, requital, indemnification, indemnity, atonement, expiation, amends

  6. the opportunity to redress or right a wrong, as by a duel.

  7. payment or discharge, as of a debt or obligation.

    Synonyms:
    remuneration, repayment

  8. Ecclesiastical.

    1. an act of doing penance or making reparation for venial sin.

    2. the penance or reparation made.

satisfaction British  
/ ˌsætɪsˈfækʃən /

noun

  1. the act of satisfying or state of being satisfied

  2. the fulfilment of a desire

  3. the pleasure obtained from such fulfilment

  4. a source of fulfilment

  5. reparation or compensation for a wrong done or received

  6. RC Church Church of England the performance by a repentant sinner of a penance

  7. Christianity the atonement for sin by the death of Christ

"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

Other Word Forms

  • nonsatisfaction noun
  • presatisfaction noun
  • satisfactional adjective
  • satisfactionless adjective
  • supersatisfaction noun
  • undersatisfaction noun

Etymology

Origin of satisfaction

First recorded in 1250–1300; from Latin satisfactiōn-, stem of satisfactiō “amends, excuse, penalty,” from satisfact(us) “compensated, sufficed” (past participle of satisfacere “to do enough, apologize, compensate,” from satis “enough” + facere “to do, make”) + -iō -ion; replacing Middle English satisfaccioun, from Anglo-French, from Latin, as above; fact, satiate

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.

The smooth, frictionless surfaces of user-friendly design haven’t delivered the satisfaction that we were promised.

From Slate • Apr. 4, 2026

Browder takes some satisfaction at the long-in-coming trial.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

A potential role in a reality show, “Finance Dudes,” isn’t working out to anyone’s satisfaction.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 22, 2026

Power ranked JetBlue the top airline in North America for first-class and business-class customer satisfaction in 2025.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

This reply seemed agreeable to Mr. Jaggers, who said, “I thought so!” and blew his nose with an air of satisfaction.

From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens

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.