complaisance
noun
com·plai·sance
kəm-ˈplā-sᵊn(t)s 
-zᵊn(t)s;
ˌkäm-plā-ˈzan(t)s,
-plə-,
-ˈzän(t)s
: disposition to please or comply : affability
Examples of complaisance in a Sentence
the complaisance of his girlfriend is such that she meekly goes along with everything he says
Recent Examples on the Web
Yet electing to be private doesn’t amount to complaisance or complicity.
—
Lesley M.m. Blume, Town & Country, 6 Dec. 2022
Sammy’s awareness of his mother’s infidelity, his father’s complaisance, and how both were relieved by his creative Boy Scout merit-badge projects and fantasies requires a separate article.
—Armond White, National Review, 16 Nov. 2022
What is lost is the look of complaisance that defines young founders looking for capital.
—Virginia Heffernan, Wired, 2 Mar. 2021
There are more emphatic reasons for the market’s complaisance.
—Jeff Sommer, New York Times, 12 Nov. 2016
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Lesley M.m. Blume, Town & Country, 6 Dec. 2022
Sammy’s awareness of his mother’s infidelity, his father’s complaisance, and how both were relieved by his creative Boy Scout merit-badge projects and fantasies requires a separate article.
—Armond White, National Review, 16 Nov. 2022
What is lost is the look of complaisance that defines young founders looking for capital.
—Virginia Heffernan, Wired, 2 Mar. 2021
There are more emphatic reasons for the market’s complaisance.
—Jeff Sommer, New York Times, 12 Nov. 2016
Cite this Entry
“Complaisance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/complaisance. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
complaisance
noun
com·plai·sance
kəm-ˈplās-ᵊn(t)s
-ˈplāz-;
ˌkäm-plā-ˈzan(t)s
: a desire or willingness to please
complaisant
adjective
-ᵊnt
-ˈzant
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