Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definition: Contentment |
ContentmentNoun1. Happiness with one's situation in life. Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "contentment" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1010. (references) |
| Domain | Definition |
Bible | Contentment a state of mind in which one's desires are confined to his lot whatever it may be (1 Tim. 6:6; 2 Cor. 9:8). It is opposed to envy (James 3:16), avarice (Heb. 13:5), ambition (Prov. 13:10), anxiety (Matt. 6:25, 34), and repining (1 Cor. 10:10). It arises from the inward disposition, and is the offspring of humility, and of an intelligent consideration of the rectitude and benignity of divine providence (Ps. 96:1, 2; 145), the greatness of the divine promises (2 Pet. 1:4), and our own unworthiness (Gen. 32:10); as well as from the view the gospel opens up to us of rest and peace hereafter (Rom. 5:2). Source: Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
Synonym: ContentmentSynonym: satisfaction. (additional references) |
| Antonym: discontentment (n). (additional references) |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Content | Noun: content, contentment, contentedness; complacency, satisfaction, entire satisfaction, ease, heart's ease, peace of mind; serenity; cheerfulness; ray of comfort; comfort; (well-being). |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
Crosswords: Contentment |
| English words defined with "contentment": at peace ♦ content ♦ felicity ♦ happiness, happy ♦ lotus land, lotusland ♦ Pur ♦ satisfaction, Saturnian, Suffisance. (references) |
| Specialty definitions using "contentment": Aluminum, Amethyst, Attic ♦ Bantam, Beads ♦ Contentment is true Riches, Coppersmith ♦ Dead, Dressing ♦ Heaven, Hexameter and Pentameter, Hymns ♦ Ideal ♦ Lamb, Liquor, Love ♦ Mansion, Marigold, Mattress, Mussels ♦ Olives ♦ Rattle, Reapers, Rocking-chair, Rooks ♦ Shelves, Silver, Spoons, Suckle ♦ Thimble, Tub, Twins ♦ Vaccinate, Vase ♦ Walking, Windmill, Window ♦ Yawning. (references) |
| Domain | Usage | |
Screenplays | From now on I'm going to employ relaxation techniques to turn off stress river and mosey gently down contentment creek. (Drop the Dead Donkey; writing credit: Andy Hamilton; Guy Jenkin) | |
Lyrics | I know the meaning of contentment (Crying in the Chapel; performing artist: Elvis Presley) You'll know the meaning of contentment (Crying in the Chapel; performing artist: Elvis Presley) | |
Clever | You may pass violets looking for roses and contentment looking for victory. (references; author: unknown) Contentment is not to be found in having what you want, but rather wanting what you have. (references; author: unknown) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title | ||
Books |
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Music |
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Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit | Thumbnail | Description & Credit |
 | Contentment. Credit: Library of Congress. |  | Contentment. Credit: Library of Congress. |
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits. | |||
| Author | Quotation |
Buddha | Temperance is a tree which as for its root very little contentment, and for its fruit calm and peace. |
Charles Dickens | Cheerfulness and contentment are great beautifiers and are famous preservers of youthful looks. |
Confucius | Contentment, even in poverty, brings happiness; discontent is poverty, even in riches. |
Francois De La Rochefoucauld | When we cannot find contentment in ourselves, it is useless to seek it elsewhere. |
John Balguy | Contentment is a pearl of great price, and whoever procures it at the expense of ten thousand desires makes a wise and a happy purchase. |
Socrates | Contentment is natural wealth, luxury is artificial poverty. |
Thomas C. Haliburton | Contentment is, after all, simply refined indolence. |
Thomas Fuller | Contentment consist not in adding more fuel, but in taking away some fire. |
| One Year of Joy, another of Comfort, the rest of Contentment, make the married Life happy. | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | |
| Title | Author | Quote |
Grapes of Wrath | Steinbeck, John | Wilson, tearing a slab of meat with his teeth, sighed with contentment. |
Walden | Thoreau, Henry David | In physical endurance and contentment he was cousin to the pine and the rock. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Speaker | Term | Phrase(s) |
George Washington | 1789-1797 | Contemplating the internal situation as well as the external relations of the United States, we discover equal cause for contentment and satisfaction. |
Grover Cleveland | 1885-1889; 1893-1897 | When we tear aside the delusions and misconceptions which have blinded our countrymen to their condition under vicious tariff laws, we but show them how far they have been led away from the paths of contentment and prosperity. |
Benjamin Harrison | 1889-1893 | None are excluded from achieving that diversification of pursuits among the people which brings wealth and contentment. |
Calvin Coolidge | 1923-1929 | Under the helpful influences of restrictive immigration and a protective tariff, employment is plentiful, the rate of pay is high, and wage earners are in a state of contentment seldom before seen. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| "Contentment" is generally used as a noun (singular) -- approximately 100.00% of the time. "Contentment" is used about 263 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Noun (singular) | 100% | 263 | 18,193 |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
| Hypenated Usage | |
Ending with "contentment": self-contentment, semi-contentment. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Expression | Frequency per Day |
contentment | 47 |
contentment peace | 3 |
contentment quote | 2 |
contentment self | 2 |
christian contentment | 2 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Language | Translations for "contentment"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Arabic | قناعة (assurance, certainty, content, contentedness, conviction, persuasion, satisfaction, temperance), إطمئنان (content, repose, unconcern), رضا (content, goodwill, gratification, satisfaction). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bulgarian | доволство (comfort). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Chinese | 自得. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Czech | spokojenost (happiness, satisfaction, welfare, well), pohoda (peace). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dutch | tevredenheid (satisfaction). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Esperanto | kontento (satisfaction). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Finnish | viihtymys (comfort), tyytyväisyys (satisfaction). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
French | contentement (content), satisfaction (complacence, content, contentedness). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
German | zufriedenheit (content, contentedness, satisfaction). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Greek | ικανοποίηση (contededment, gratification, indulgence, reparation, satisfaction). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hebrew | שביעות רצון (content, happiness, satisfaction), קורת רוח (gratification, satisfaction), חת (calm, ease, gratification, mildness, peace, quiet, repose, rest, satisfaction, tranquillity). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hungarian | elégedettség (complacence, complacency, content, satisfaction). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Indonesian | kepuasan (gratification, satisfaction). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Italian | contentezza (cheerfulness, content, gladness, happiness, joy, satisfaction), soddisfazione (appeasement, compensation, fulfillment, fulfilment, gratification, indulgence, pacification, pleasure, redress, satisfaction), appagamento (appeasement, fulfillment, fulfilment, indulgence, satisfaction). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Japanese Kanji | "腹 (happiness). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Japanese Katakana | "ふく (happiness). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Korean | 만족 (satisfaction). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Manx | saasaght (satisfaction), aigney booiagh. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pig Latin | ontentmentcay contentamento (gaiety, glee, gratification, joy, mirth, satisfaction). (various references) satisfacţie (amends, complacency, gratification, relish, reparation, satisfaction), mulţumire (content, contentedness, easiness, gratification, gratitude, legion, recompense, relish, reward, satisfaction, thank, thanks). (various references) удовлетворенность (complacency). (various references) toileachas, sòlas (comfort, consolation, joy, solace). (various references) zadovoljstvo (complacence, content, delectation, delight, pleasure, relish, satisfaction, treat, zest). (various references) contento (blithe, chipper, chuffed, content, contented, contentedness, glad, happiness, happy, pleased, satisfied), contentamiento (contentedness). (various references) belåtenhet (content, satisfaction). (various references) memnuniyet (complacence, complacency, content, contentedness, gladness, gratification, pleasure, satisfaction), hoşnutluk (content, contentedness, gratification, satisfaction). (various references) razяlyk (agreement). (various references) задоволеність (complacence, complacency, contentedness, satiety), задоволення (amusement, bang, content, delectation, delight, enjoyment, gratification, gusto, kick, picnic, pleasure, relish, repletion, satisfaction, treat). (various references) sự vui lòng (contentedness), sự vừa lòng (content, contentedness, satisfaction), sự toại ý (contentedness, satisfaction), sự thoả mãn (complacence, complacency, contentedness, satiation, satisfactoriness), sự mãn nguyện (content, contentedness), sự bằng lòng (acquiescence, compliance, consent, content, contentedness, willingness), sự đẹp lòng (contentedness). (various references) diddigrwydd (placidity), bodlonrwydd. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Language | Period | Translations |
| Latin | 500 BCE-Modern | animus contentus. (various references) |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Language | Date | Source | 1 Timothy Chapter 6, Verse 6 |
| Greek (transliterated) | 250 BC | Septuagint | Estin de porismoV megaV h eusebeia meta autarkeiaV |
| Latin | 405 | Vulgate | Est autem quaestus magnus pietas cum sufficientia |
| Middle English | 1395 | Wyclif | But a greet wynnyng is pitee, with sufficience. |
| Renaissance English | 1526 | Tyndale | Godlines is great ryches yf a man be content with that he hath. |
| Jacobean English | 1611 | King James | But godliness with contentment is great gain. |
| Victorian English | 1833 | Webster | But godliness with contentment is great gain. |
| Basic English | 1964 | Ogden | But true faith, with peace of mind, is of great profit: |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Language | 1 Timothy Chapter 6, Verse 6 |
| Cebuano | ¶ Hinoon adunay dakung ganansiya diha sa pagkadiosnon nga inubanan sa pagbati sa katagbaw, |
| Croatian | Pa i jest dobitak velik pobožnost, zadovoljna onim što ima! |
| Danish | Vist nok er Gudsfrygten sammen med Nøjsomhed en stor Vinding. |
| Dutch | Doch de godzaligheid is een groot gewin met vergenoeging. |
| Finnish | Ja suuri voitto onkin jumalisuus yhdessä tyytyväisyyden kanssa. |
| French | C`est, en effet, une grande source de gain que la piété avec le contentement; |
| German | Es ist aber ein großer Gewinn, wer gottselig ist und lässet sich genügen. |
| Haitian Creole | ¶ Nan yon sans se vre. Sèvis Bondye a se yon gwo richès pou yon moun si l' kontan ak sa li genyen an. |
| Indonesian-Bahasa Sehari-hari | Memang agama memberikan keuntungan yang besar, kalau orang puas dengan apa yang dipunyainya. |
| Indonesian-Terjemahan Lama | Adapun ibadat itu sungguhlah besar labanya, jikalau disertai dengan hati yang senang; |
| Latvian | Tieðâm, dievbijîba kopâ ar pieticîbu ir liels ieguvums. |
| Maori | ¶ He taonga nui ano ia te karakia pai hui tahi ki te ngakau tatu: |
| Norwegian | Ja, gudsfrykt med nøisomhet er en stor vinning; |
| Portuguese | e, de fato, é grande fonte de lucro a piedade com o contentamento. |
| Rumanian | Negrewit, evlavia knsoyitq de mulyqmire este un mare ckwtig. |
| Russian | чЕМЙЛПЕ ТЙП'ТЕФЕОЙЕ--'ЩФШ 'МБЗПЮЕУФЙЧЩН Й "ПЧПМШОЩН. |
| Shuar | ¶ Shuar takakna nujain waraakka Yusna ana nujaisha waraak ju nunkanmasha tura nayaimpinmasha nekas Kuítrinniuiti. |
| Spanish | Sin embargo, grande ganancia es la piedad con contentamiento. |
| Swahili | Kweli dini humfanya mtu awe tajiri sana, ikiwa anatosheka na vitu alivyo navyo. |
| Swedish | Ja, gudsfruktan i förening med förnöjsamhet är verkligen en stor vinning. |
| Uma | ¶ Makono moto-di, po'agama-ta mpokeni rasi' bohe, asala rodo-mi nono-ta hante napa to ria hi kita'. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
Derivations | |
Words beginning with "contentment": contentments. (additional references) | |
Words ending with "contentment": discontentment. (additional references) | |
Words containing "contentment": discontentments. (additional references) | |
| |
"Contentment" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: conentment, consentement, contestment. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| # of Phoneme Matches | Pronunciation | Word(s) rhyming with "contentment" (pronounced kunte"ntmunt) |
| 7 | -e" n t m u n t | presentment, resentment. |
| 6 | -n t m u n t | appointment, disappointment, disenchantment, enchantment, ointment, reappointment. |
| 5 | -t m u n t | abatement, adjustment, allotment, apartment, assortment, commitment, compartment, comportment, department, deportment, disinvestment, divestment, enactment, enlistment, excitement, incitement, indictment, investment, maltreatment, misstatement, mistreatment, overstatement, readjustment, recruitment, reenactment, reinstatement, reinvestment, restatement, statement, treatment, understatement. |
| 4 | -m u n t | abandonment, accompaniment, accomplishment, accouterment, achievement, acknowledgement, acknowledgment, adamant, adjournment, adornment, advancement, advertisement, advisement, aggrandizement, agreement, ailment, alignment, amazement, amendment, amusement, announcement, annulment, antigovernment, appeasement, apportionment, argument, armament, arraignment, arrangement, assessment, assignment, astonishment, atonement, attachment, attainment, banishment, basement, battlement, bemusement, bereavement, betterment, bewilderment, blandishment, bombardment, claimant, Clement, commandment, commencement, complement, concealment, condiment, confinement, consignment, containment, copayment, curtailment, debarment, debasement, deferment, deployment, derailment, detachment, determent, detriment, development, diminishment, disagreement, disarmament, disbarment, disbursement, discernment, discouragement, disenfranchisement, disengagement, disestablishment, disgruntlement, disillusionment, dismantlement, dismemberment, displacement, dormant, easement, element, embankment, embarrassment, embayment, embellishment, embezzlement, embodiment, emplacement, employment, empowerment, encampment, encirclement, encouragement, encroachment, endangerment, endearment, endorsement, endowment, enforcement, engagement, enhancement, enjoyment, enlargement, enlightenment, enrichment, enrollment, enslavement, entanglement, entertainment, enticement, entitlement, entombment, entrapment, entrenchment, environment, equipment, escapement, escarpment, establishment, estrangement, excrement, experiment, extinguishment, figment, filament, formant, fragment, fulfillment, garment, garnishment, government, harassment, impairment, impeachment, impediment, implement, impoundment, impoverishment, impressment, imprisonment, improvement, inclement, increment, inducement, informant, infotainment, infringement, installment, instrument, integument, internment, intersegment, involvement, judgement, judgment, ligament, management, measurement, micromanagement, misgovernment, misjudgment, mismanagement, moment, monument, movement, nongovernment, nonmanagement, nonpayment, nourishment, ornament, orpiment, outplacement, overpayment, parchment, parliament, pavement, payment, pigment, placement, postponement, postretirement, predicament, prejudgment, prepayment, procurement, pronouncement, punishment, puzzlement, realignment, reapportionment, rearmament, rearrangement, reassessment, reassignment, redeployment, redevelopment, reemployment, refinement, refreshment, refurbishment, regiment, reimbursement, reinforcement, repayment, replacement, replenishment, requirement, resettlement, retirement, retrenchment, rudiment, sacrament, sediment, segment, sentiment, settlement, shipment, supplement, temperament, tenement, testament, tournament, underdevelopment, underemployment, undergarment, underpayment, unemployment, vehement, wonderment. |
| 3 | -u n t | aberrant, abhorrent, abortifacient, absent, absorbent, abstinent, abundant, accelerant, accident, accountant, adherent, adjacent, adjutant, adolescent, afferent, affiant, affluent, agent, ambient, ambivalent, ancient, antecedent, antidepressant, antioxidant, apparent, applicant, ardent, argent, arrant, arrogant, ascendant, aspirant, assailant, assistant, astringent, attendant, belligerent, beneficent, benevolent, blatant, brilliant, buoyant, celebrant, clairvoyant, client, coefficient, cogent, cognizant, coherent, coincident, combatant, competent, complacent, complainant, complaisant, compliant, component, concomitant, concurrent, confident, confluent, consequent, consistent, consonant, constant, constituent, consultant, contaminant, contestant, continent, contingent, convalescent, convenient, convent, convergent, conversant, coolant, corespondent, cormorant, correspondent, Courant, covenant, Crescent, crosscurrent, current, decadent, decedent, decent, declarant, decongestant, defendant, defiant, deficient, defoliant, delinquent, deodorant, dependent, depressant, descendant, descendent, despondent, detergent, determinant, deterrent, deviant, different, diligent, discordant, disinfectant, disobedient, dispersant, dissident, dissonant, distant, divalent, divergent, docent, dominant, ebullient, efferent, effervescent, efficient, effluent, elegant, elephant, eloquent, emergent, emigrant, eminent, entrant, equivalent, errant, esculent, evanescent, evident, excellent, exigent, existent, exorbitant, expectant, expectorant, expedient, exponent, extant, extravagant, exuberant, exultant, Fabricant, fervent, flagrant, flamboyant, flatulent, flippant, fluent, fluorescent, fragrant, fraudulent, frequent, gallant, giant, grandiloquent, grandparent, hesitant, hydrant, ignorant, immanent, immigrant, imminent, impatient, impertinent, important, impotent, imprudent, inadvertent, incandescent, incessant, incident, incipient, incoherent, incompetent, inconsistent, incontinent, inconvenient, incumbent, indecent, independent, indifferent, indigent, indignant, indolent, indulgent, inefficient, infant, infrequent, ingredient, inhabitant, inhalant, inherent, innocent, inpatient, insignificant, insistent, insolent, insolvent, instant, insufficient, insurgent, intelligent, intercurrent, interdependent, intermittent, intolerant, intransigent, invariant, iridescent, irrelevant, irreverent, irritant, itinerant, jubilant, latent, leant, lenient, lieutenant, litigant, lubricant, lucent, luminescent, luxuriant, magnificent, malevolent, malignant, merchant, migrant, militant, miscreant, monovalent, mordant, mutant, nascent, negligent, noncombatant, nonexistent, nonresident, nonviolent, nutrient, obedient, observant, obsolescent, occupant, odorant, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, operant, opponent, opulent, outpatient, overconfident, oxidant, pageant, parent, participant, patent, patient, peasant, penchant, pendant, penitent, pennant, percipient, permanent, persistent, pertinent, petulant, pheasant, piquant, pleasant, pliant, poignant, pollutant, potent, preadolescent, precedent, predominant, preeminent, pregnant, prescient, present, prevalent, proficient, prominent, propellant, proponent, protestant, provident, prudent, prurient, pungent, pursuant, quadrant, quiescent, quotient, radiant, rampant, reagent, recalcitrant, recent, recipient, recombinant, recurrent, redundant, refrigerant, Regent, registrant, relevant, reliant, reluctant, reminiscent, remnant, repellent, repentant, repugnant, resident, resilient, resistant, resonant, resplendent, respondent, resultant, resurgent, retardant, reticent, reverent, rodent, ruminant, salient, seafront, sealant, semipermanent, Sequent, sergeant, serpent, servant, significant, silent, solvent, somnolent, stagnant, stimulant, strident, stringent, student, subcontinent, subsequent, subservient, succulent, sufficient, supergiant, superintendent, supplicant, suppressant, surfactant, talent, tangent, tenant, tetravalent, tolerant, torrent, transcendent, transient, translucent, transparent, trenchant, trident, triumphant, truant, truculent, tumescent, turbulent, tyrant, undercurrent, unimportant, unpleasant, unrepentant, urgent, vacant, vagrant, valiant, variant, verdant, vibrant, vigilant, violent, virulent, warrant. |
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words within the letters "c-e-e-m-n-n-n-o-t-t-t" | |
-4 letters: contemn, content, octette, tonette. | |
-5 letters: cement, cenote, nocent, nonmen, toneme. | |
| Words containing the letters "c-e-e-m-n-n-n-o-t-t-t" | |
+1 letter: contentments. | |
+3 letters: discontentment. | |
+4 letters: discontentments. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Synonyms 3. Crosswords 4. Usage: Modern | 5. Usage: Commercial 6. Images: Slideshow 7. Images: Photo Album 8. Quotations: Familiar | 9. Quotations: Fiction 10. Quotations: Speeches 11. Usage Frequency 12. Expressions | 13. Expressions: Internet 14. Translations: Modern 15. Translations: Ancient 16. Bible Trace | 17. Derivations 18. Rhymes 19. Anagrams 20. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
