contentment

noun

con·​tent·​ment kən-ˈtent-mənt How to pronounce contentment (audio)
1
: the quality or state of being contented
There was a look of contentment on her face.
2
: something that contents
… states that allow their muscles to spoil them and their contentments to enfeeble them.The New Republic

Examples of contentment in a Sentence

He believes that people can find peace and contentment in living simply. There was a look of perfect contentment on her face.
Recent Examples on the Web In fact, most Xers (61%) have generally positive views on aging and generally high levels of contentment regarding their family, work, and well-being. Chloe Berger, Fortune, 27 Feb. 2024 Multiple voices and instruments Antonoff’s open-hearted ode, with the saxophone blasts that have highlighted recent Bleachers singles turned into wandering thoughts and feelings; soon enough, the song collapses into a warm puddle of guitar, capturing a feeling of exhausted contentment. Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 23 Feb. 2024 After the Chiefs rallied past the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 Sunday night to become the NFL’s first repeat champion in nearly 20 years — and the first team to win consecutive Super Bowls as underdogs — Kelce was quick to show there’s not an ounce of contentment in K.C. Arnie Stapleton, The Denver Post, 13 Feb. 2024 Take the road that leads to contentment and personal happiness. Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 6 Jan. 2024 Instead, much of the music was ebullient, with the author conveying a good degree of contentment to be found in the solitude while making sure that the piece subtly and slyly lived up to its own title. Jim Harrington, The Mercury News, 12 Feb. 2024 Unlike the West, Russia has never disseminated contentment, prosperity or stability within or abroad to boast about. Melik Kaylan, Forbes, 10 Feb. 2024 Cornbread Full Spectrum Hemp Oil for Pets Cornbread believes that pets should share their owners' happiness and contentment. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 31 July 2023 Hermes struggles a bit here—domestic contentment is tougher to evoke on the page than logging one more abscess from shooting speed. Ian Penman, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'contentment.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English contentement "satisfaction of a claim or debt," borrowed from Anglo-French, from contenter "to satisfy, content entry 3" + -ment -ment

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of contentment was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near contentment

Cite this Entry

“Contentment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contentment. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

contentment

noun
con·​tent·​ment kən-ˈtent-mənt How to pronounce contentment (audio)
: freedom from worry or restlessness : peaceful satisfaction

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