1
as in vanity
an often unjustified feeling of being pleased with oneself or with one's situation or achievements
the complacence of some of the rich kids at the exclusive private school
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disregard
lack of interest or concern
someone who displayed a startling complacence toward his own financial plight
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of complacence
Stuck here on the planet’s surface, our mundane perspective is rarely challenged, so seeing both our world and its lone natural satellite side by side is a rare gift, a jolt to our cosmic complacence.
—
Phil Plait, Scientific American, 9 Oct. 2025
This flagrant exclusion of such a win-win prospect largely stems from the aversion many environmental activists have of any potential solution that might lead to complacence on aggregate consumption.
—Saleem H. Ali, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Overwhelming military strength encouraged complacence.
—T.h. Breen, The New York Review of Books, 2 Feb. 2023
The United States veered too far in the direction of complacence after the Cold War, discounting China and Russia’s competitive potential.
—Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 25 July 2022
The campaign used Ivancie’s complacence.
—oregonlive, 1 Feb. 2022
But the rise and fall of Japan's chipmakers suggests that leaders of the industry today have no room for complacence.
—Eamon Barrett, Fortune, 22 June 2021
His complacence is more nauseating than his weakness.
—Katherine Dunn, The New Yorker, 4 May 2020
But surely there must be a place for civil disobedience and protest that is sufficiently disruptive to rouse people from complacence.
—Yochai Benkler, Foreign Affairs, 4 Apr. 2012
Phil Plait, Scientific American, 9 Oct. 2025
This flagrant exclusion of such a win-win prospect largely stems from the aversion many environmental activists have of any potential solution that might lead to complacence on aggregate consumption.
—Saleem H. Ali, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Overwhelming military strength encouraged complacence.
—T.h. Breen, The New York Review of Books, 2 Feb. 2023
The United States veered too far in the direction of complacence after the Cold War, discounting China and Russia’s competitive potential.
—Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 25 July 2022
The campaign used Ivancie’s complacence.
—oregonlive, 1 Feb. 2022
But the rise and fall of Japan's chipmakers suggests that leaders of the industry today have no room for complacence.
—Eamon Barrett, Fortune, 22 June 2021
His complacence is more nauseating than his weakness.
—Katherine Dunn, The New Yorker, 4 May 2020
But surely there must be a place for civil disobedience and protest that is sufficiently disruptive to rouse people from complacence.
—Yochai Benkler, Foreign Affairs, 4 Apr. 2012
Recent Examples of Synonyms for complacence
Noun
-
Posing on top of an antique vanity and inside a wooden cabinet, Bieber cycled through a parade of sheer lace, see-through mesh, and strappy designs in shades of red, black, pink, and cream.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Store liquids—such as lotion, makeup, perfumes, and skincare—on a tray to protect your vanity table or bathroom cabinet.—
Abby Wolner,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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For these workers, JLL continued, non-compliance is often driven by personal constraints rather than a dislike of the office itself (or a disregard for all the free food).—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
3 Jan. 2026
-
The operation is less a challenge to international law than an instance of total disregard for it.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
3 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
His on-field poise and ego-free personality are a combination that will be an easy sell to an NFL locker room.—
Antonio Morales,
New York Times,
6 Jan. 2026
-
The ego, the hardness, the … callousness of anything that might be on the heart or the mind had literally just melted away.—
Kelsie Hoffman,
CBS News,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Filed in May 2023, the Schuck family’s lawsuit accused jail staff of negligence and deliberate indifference to their son’s medical needs.—
Kelly Davis,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Nov. 2025
-
When companies back away from inclusion, audiences interpret it as indifference.—
Kimberly S. Reed,
Rolling Stone,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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For those who do know him, the optics are less about political pressure and more about simple, unadulterated pride.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
-
The 17-song record is composed of música jíbara, or Puerto Rican folk, a staple of the island’s musical and cultural traditions, and tackles themes of political resistance and cultural pride.—
Thania Garcia,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
For Dimon, the danger is internal complacency.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
6 Nov. 2025
-
After a half-century in which energy was not a tool of statecraft, complacency set in.—
John Kerry,
semafor.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
In a post dripping with arrogance, Lynch dished out demeaning nicknames for her recent opponents.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
-
This propensity for mental acrobatics, alongside his immense arrogance, was how Epstein rationalized his crimes to himself.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Complacence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/complacence. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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