content

1 of 4

noun (1)

con·​tent ˈkän-ˌtent 

1

a

: something contained

—usually used in plural

the jar's contents

the drawer's contents

b

: the topics or matter treated in a written work

table of contents

c

: the principal substance (such as written matter, illustrations, or music) offered by a website

… Internet users have evolved an ethos of free content in the Internet.

—Ben Gerson

2

a

: substance, gist

b

: meaning, significance

c

: the events, physical detail, and information in a work of art compare form sense 10c

The film was rated R for its violent content.

3

a

: the matter dealt with in a field of study

… the content of sociology is inexhaustible …

—Franklin H. Giddings

b

: a part, element, or complex of parts

4

: the amount of specified material contained : proportion

the sulfur content in coal

content

2 of 4

adjective

con·​tent kən-ˈtent 

: contented, satisfied

She was content with her life as it was.

content

3 of 4

verb

con·​tent kən-ˈtent 

contented; contenting; contents

transitive verb

1

: to appease the desires of

… he had been betrayed into a position which neither contented his heart nor satisfied his conscience.

—Edward Bulwer-Lytton

2

: to limit (oneself) in requirements, desires, or actions

The rainy weather spoiled our plans for the beach, so we had to content ourselves with a relaxing day at home.

content

4 of 4

noun (2)

con·​tent kən-ˈtent 

: contentment

He ate to his heart's content.

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• matter
• motif
• motive
• question
• subject
• theme
• topic

Adjective

• contented
• gratified
• happy
• pleased
• satisfied

Verb

• agree (with)
• delight
• feast
• gas [slang]
• glad [archaic]
• gladden
• gratify
• please
• pleasure
• rejoice
• satisfy
• suit
• warm

Noun (2)

• contentedness
• contentment
• delectation
• delight
• enjoyment
• gladness
• gratification
• happiness
• pleasure
• relish
• satisfaction

Examples of content in a Sentence

Adjective

The baby looks content in her crib.

A fancy hotel is not necessary; I'd be content with a warm meal and a clean place to sleep.

No, I don't want to play. I'm content to watch.

Not content to stay at home, she set off to see the world at the age of 16.

Polls show that voters are growing less and less content with the current administration.

Verb

The toys contented the children, at least for a little while.

a person easily contented by life's simple pleasures

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Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Obituaries are big business because people are captivated by death; this is one reason serial-killer content has turned into such a reliably popular genre. —WIRED, 22 Sep. 2023

The new offer means Microsoft can’t limit access to Activision’s key content to its own cloud gaming service or to withhold those games from rivals, the regulator said. —Katharine Gemmell, Fortune, 22 Sep. 2023

Starbucks is also facing some heat—in the court of law—for allegedly misrepresenting the fruit content of its Refreshers, said content apparently being zero. —Li Goldstein, Bon Appétit, 22 Sep. 2023

Caitlin O'Kane Caitlin O'Kane is a digital content producer covering trending stories for CBS News and its good news brand, The Uplift. —Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 22 Sep. 2023

Games are one of the only things that people still have to — and want to — watch live in a world dominated by on-demand content. —Melinda Sheckells, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Sep. 2023

Fruit Roll-Ups Urges People Not to Eat the Plastic After Viral TikTok Confuses Viewers One of the first content creators behind the Fruit Roll-Ups ice cream viral treat appears to be Goli Ghavami (@golisdream), who shared her snack on Feb. 25. —Nikki Dobrin, Peoplemag, 20 Sep. 2023

With these additions and the hire of a new senior editor, Features will be even more equipped to build content that informs, inspires and engages an online audience. —Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2023

Industry leaders, influencers and creators will meet to exchange knowledge and inspiration in the content creation industry. —Mckinley Franklin, Variety, 19 Sep. 2023

Adjective

But Murdoch was never content to simply entertain the masses. —Zack Sharf, Variety, 21 Sep. 2023

How could anyone tell them to be content with less? —Jamie Ducharme, TIME, 18 Sep. 2023

Consumers are content with its performance, reliability, 29 mpg efficiency. —cleveland, 16 Sep. 2023

Offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren had been content to not try to stretch the defense. —Bill Oram, oregonlive, 3 Sep. 2023

Not simply content to tell radical and revolutionary stories, she’s also helped other women and people of color do the same with her Peabody Award-winning distribution company, Array, which seeks to spotlight emerging filmmakers and promote institutional change across the industry. —Radhika Seth, Vogue, 7 Sep. 2023

The Vikings rookie dominated the receiving spotlight for the Trojans last season, but this year’s team is content to thrive on depth. —Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2023

While some girls are perfectly content with a basic ponytail and other easy hairstyles 10 year olds can do themselves, there are plenty who like to step it up with braids or next-level pigtails. —Blair Donovan, Country Living, 28 Aug. 2023

Automakers are no longer content to grow SUV sales within their respective mass-market brands. —Jim Ciaozzo, Car and Driver, 27 Aug. 2023

Verb

For now, absent Sanders or anyone like him running a viable campaign for president, socialists and the broader left will have to content themselves with these kinds of fights. —Ross Barkan, The New Republic, 3 Aug. 2023

Those looking for the illusion of movement, or news, must content themselves with Twitter commentary. —Anonymous, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 June 2023

The new Max includes a placeholder kids’ profile (which by default allows access only to content with PG and TV-PG ratings or lower) on the start screen for all new subscribers. —Todd Spangler, Variety, 26 May 2023

Maybe some unhappy friends would have been perfectly contented as sisters, or married couples as parents and children, who knows. —Annie Lord, Vogue, 4 July 2023

The Phillips Collection show features many pictures in vivid color and some that document social issues or the artist’s travels, as well as ones keyed more to composition than to content. —Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 22 June 2023

That subconsciously they’re contented by the accomplishment of proving detractors wrong and becoming just the fourth team down 3-0 to force a Game 7, joining the 1951 New York Knicks, the 1994 Denver Nuggets, and the 2003 Portland Trail Blazers. —Christopher L. Gasper, BostonGlobe.com, 29 May 2023

O’Day wasn’t there, so Gamble had to content himself with walking off with a piece of stage gear. —David Browne, Rolling Stone, 2 Jan. 2022

Verizon Media, which also owns Yahoo and TechCrunch, have agreed to content syndication deals. —Kerry Flynn, CNN, 19 Nov. 2020

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Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French & Medieval Latin; Anglo-French, borrowed from Medieval Latin contentum (usually in plural contenta), noun derivative from neuter past participle of Latin continēre "to hold together, restrain, have as contents" — more at contain

Adjective

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French, going back to Latin contentus "satisfied," from past participle of continēre "to hold together, restrain, have as contents" — more at contain

Note: The sense "satisfied" of Latin contentus presumably developed from the more literal meaning "self-contained, restrained, held in." This is still somewhat apparent in early uses, as in this passage from Plautus's Poenulus: "ego faxo posthac di deaeque ceteri / contentiores mage erunt atque avidi minus, / quom scibunt, ut Veneri adierit leno manum." ("I will make the other gods and goddesses more restrained (contentiores) and less greedy when they know how the procurer played a trick on Venus.")

Verb

Middle English contenten "to rest satisfied, satisfy," borrowed from Anglo-French contenter "to satisfy," borrowed from Medieval Latin contentāre, verbal derivative of Latin contentus "satisfied" — more at content entry 2

Noun (2)

noun derivative of content entry 2 or content entry 3

First Known Use

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1579, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing content

• content word
• content analysis
• content oneself with
• self-content
• to one's heart's content

• content word
• content analysis
• content oneself with
• self-content
• to one's heart's content

Kids Definition

content

1 of 4 adjective

con·​tent kən-ˈtent 

: pleased and satisfied with what one has or is

content

2 of 4 verb

: to make content : satisfy

content

3 of 4 noun

: contentment

especially : freedom from care or discomfort

content

4 of 4 noun

con·​tent ˈkän-ˌtent 

1

a

: something contained

—usually used in plural

the contents of a jar

b

: the subject matter or topics treated (as in a book)

table of contents

2

: the essential meaning

I enjoy the rhythm of the poem but I don't understand its content

3

: an amount that is contained or can be contained

oil with a high content of sulfur

the jug has a content of four liters

Medical Definition

content

noun

con·​tent ˈkän-ˌtent 

1

: something contained

—usually used in plural

the stomach contents

2

: the subject matter or symbolic significance of something see latent content, manifest content

3

: the amount of specified material contained

the sulfur content of a sample