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.
- friendly civility; inclination to please; complaisance.
- a civil act.
noun plural -cencies or -cences
- a feeling of satisfaction, esp extreme self-satisfaction; smugness
- an obsolete word for complaisance
mid-15c., “pleasure,” from Medieval Latin complacentia “satisfaction, pleasure,” from Latin complacentem (nominative complacens), present participle of complacere “to be very pleasing,” from com-, intensive prefix (see com-), + placere “to please” (see please). Sense of “pleased with oneself” is 18c.
1640s, from same source as complacence but with the later form of the suffix (see -cy).