Complacency

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /kəmˈpleɪsənˌsiː/

Definitions

1. A state of self-satisfaction accompanied by unawareness of potential dangers or deficiencies
2. A dangerous satisfaction with one's current state that blinds one to risks or problems
3. Self-contentment that prevents recognition of flaws, threats, or areas needing improvement

Etymology: Complacency began as a word of courtesy rather than smugness. Its ancestor, Latin "complacentia," came from "complacere," meaning "to please greatly," built from "com-" (an intensifying prefix, here meaning "thoroughly") and "placere," "to please." For centuries the word carried this agreeable sense: a pleasing manner, or a willingness to be pleased by something or someone. English borrowed the word in Late Middle English as "complacence," and it was French that gave the modern sense its direction. French "complaisance" meant obliging courtesy, and English kept that meaning for a long time. The shift toward self-satisfaction, the idea of being so pleased with oneself that one stops noticing problems, came later, and it is this darker turn that made the word a warning rather than a compliment.

Synonyms: self-satisfaction, smugness, contentment, satisfaction, indifference

Antonyms: dissatisfaction, discontent, unease, anxiety, restlessness