gratification

noun

grat·​i·​fi·​ca·​tion ˌgra-tə-fə-ˈkā-shən 

1

: reward, recompense

monetary gratification for a job well done

especially : gratuity

2

: the act of gratifying : the state of being gratified

the gratification of physical appetites

3

: a source of satisfaction or pleasure

found gratification in getting his novel published

Synonyms of gratification

• enjoyment
• contentment
• satisfaction
• pleasure
• happiness
• content
• delight

Examples of gratification in a Sentence

eating good chocolate gives me a sense of intense gratification

Recent Examples on the Web

Apple users tend to be deeply fond of Apple products; iPhones and iMacs have the advantage over most AI technologies of providing immediate gratification. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2026

Can that gratification be found in supporting and maintaining an edifice that has been erected by others? — Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026

Psychologists call this tendency delay of gratification, and decades of research (published in PNAS) have tracked it as one of the most durable predictors of life outcomes, financial ones included. — Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026

In addition to skin-plumping and hydrating gratification, the Matkas Triple Pure Serum offers long-term anti-aging benefits. — Sophie Wirt, InStyle, 21 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

see gratify

First Known Use

1576, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing gratification

• self-gratification

Rhymes for gratification

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration