complacency
noun
com·pla·cen·cy
kəm-ˈplā-sᵊn(t)-sē 
plural complacencies
1
: self-satisfaction especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies
When it comes to safety, complacency can be dangerous.
2
: an instance of usually unaware or uninformed self-satisfaction
Examples of complacency in a Sentence
He sees a dangerous sense of complacency about the U.S. stock market—where investors were emboldened after the 1998 downturn was followed by a resounding snapback.
—
Bernard Wysocki, Jr., Wall Street Journal, 3 Aug. 1999
He spoke, however, with resignation, even complacency, rather than anguish.
—Harriet Ritvo, The Platypus and The Mermaid, 1997
… you say to yourself, "OK, why did it happen? Why did we make those bad engineering decisions we made in 1967 and 1986 with Challenger?" I'll tell you. It's the human element. And I suggest that there's a complacency there that comes from success.
—Alan Shepard, Yankee, October 1991
Tony Brace lived in Richmond, in circumstances of impeccable domestic content. Matthew and Susan had visited, in the early days of their marriage; driving home, they had mocked the décor and the connubial complacency.
—Penelope Lively, City Of The Mind, 1991
The public was lulled into complacency.
a momentary complacency that was quickly dispelled by the shock of cold reality
Bernard Wysocki, Jr., Wall Street Journal, 3 Aug. 1999
He spoke, however, with resignation, even complacency, rather than anguish.
—Harriet Ritvo, The Platypus and The Mermaid, 1997
… you say to yourself, "OK, why did it happen? Why did we make those bad engineering decisions we made in 1967 and 1986 with Challenger?" I'll tell you. It's the human element. And I suggest that there's a complacency there that comes from success.
—Alan Shepard, Yankee, October 1991
Tony Brace lived in Richmond, in circumstances of impeccable domestic content. Matthew and Susan had visited, in the early days of their marriage; driving home, they had mocked the décor and the connubial complacency.
—Penelope Lively, City Of The Mind, 1991
The public was lulled into complacency.
a momentary complacency that was quickly dispelled by the shock of cold reality
Recent Examples on the Web
One of the critical lessons of World War II was the cost of complacency.
—Lt. General Leon Scott Rice, Boston Herald, 7 May 2025
The trailer opens with a couple seemingly struggling with their relationship, like issues of complacency and feelings of real love, after moving into a new home.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 5 May 2025
Silva himself is a seasoned denier of coastal complacency.
—Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
The Complacency Danger One worry about conceiving AI as normal technology is that this might slide society into a semblance of complacency about AI.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for complacency
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Lt. General Leon Scott Rice, Boston Herald, 7 May 2025
The trailer opens with a couple seemingly struggling with their relationship, like issues of complacency and feelings of real love, after moving into a new home.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 5 May 2025
Silva himself is a seasoned denier of coastal complacency.
—Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
The Complacency Danger One worry about conceiving AI as normal technology is that this might slide society into a semblance of complacency about AI.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for complacency
Cite this Entry
“Complacency.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/complacency. Accessed 20 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
complacency
noun
com·pla·cen·cy
kəm-ˈplās-ᵊn-sē
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share