satisfaction
Americannoun
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an act of satisfying; fulfillment; gratification.
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the state of being satisfied; contentment.
- Antonyms:
- discontent, displeasure
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the cause or means of being satisfied.
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confident acceptance of something as satisfactory, dependable, true, etc.
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reparation or compensation, as for a wrong or injury.
- Synonyms:
- recompense, requital, indemnification, indemnity, atonement, expiation, amends
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the opportunity to redress or right a wrong, as by a duel.
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payment or discharge, as of a debt or obligation.
- Synonyms:
- remuneration, repayment
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Ecclesiastical.
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an act of doing penance or making reparation for venial sin.
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the penance or reparation made.
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noun
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the act of satisfying or state of being satisfied
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the fulfilment of a desire
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the pleasure obtained from such fulfilment
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a source of fulfilment
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reparation or compensation for a wrong done or received
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RC Church Church of England the performance by a repentant sinner of a penance
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Christianity the atonement for sin by the death of Christ
Other Word Forms
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; cf. fact, satiate
Explanation
Satisfaction is the act of fulfilling a need, desire, or appetite, or the feeling gained from such fulfillment. Satisfaction means you’ve had enough — in a good way. When a product says "Satisfaction guaranteed" it means you’ll like it or they'll give you your money back. A good meal provides satisfaction of your hunger. When you graduate from school or get a good job, you have a feeling of satisfaction. This term once meant an act of atonement assigned by a priest to make up for a sin. When something is explained well, it was explained to your satisfaction.
Vocabulary lists containing satisfaction
Enjoy! Synonyms for "Pleasure"
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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.
With technology draining the satisfaction of being first to crack a cipher, a fellow code-breaker told Tomokiyo: "I feel useless."
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
Tanden can reflexively rattle off the particularities of housing protocols I couldn’t begin to decode; she titters with satisfaction upon recounting the intricacies of a long-discarded Australian cap-and-trade proposal.
From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026
They might even be allowed a measure of satisfaction.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026
Marc Guehi: Like Dias, a strong performance at centre-half and can take satisfaction from the way they defended, especially when Liverpool attacked The Kop end.
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026
When Elizabeth had rejoiced over Wickham’s departure she found little other cause for satisfaction in the loss of the regiment.
From "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
