Definition

Noun: 1. A feeling of quiet pleasure or security, often while unaware of potential dangers or deficiencies: A state of being satisfied with oneself or one's situation, sometimes to the point of smugness or uncritical self-satisfaction. 2. Satisfaction, contentment: A simpler, less negative sense of being pleased with how things are.

Usage

• Complacence (also commonly complacency) is typically used to describe a person's or group's attitude. It often carries a critical or warning tone, suggesting the satisfaction is unwarranted or could lead to problems.
• It is an uncountable noun. You do not say "a complacence" or "complacences."
• Common collocations include:

Examples

• The team's early success led to a complacence that caused them to lose focus in the later stages of the tournament.
• There is no room for complacence in business; the market is always changing.
• He viewed her calm smile not as happiness, but as smug complacence.

Advanced Usage

• "to be lulled into (a state of) complacence": to be made to feel safe and satisfied, leading to a lack of vigilance.
  • Years of economic stability had lulled the public into a state of complacence.
• "to breed complacence": to create an environment where self-satisfaction grows.
  • A long period without competition can breed complacence in a company.

Variants and Related Words

• Complacency (n): The far more common variant, identical in meaning and usage to "complacence."
• Complacent (adj): Having or showing complacence.
  • After winning the award, he became complacent and stopped trying to improve.
• Complacently (adv): In a complacent manner.
  • She smiled complacently, sure of her victory.

Synonyms

• Smugness
• Self-satisfaction
• Contentment (less negative)
• Apathy (in the sense of uncaring satisfaction)

Antonyms

• Dissatisfaction
• Restlessness
• Ambition
• Vigilance

Idioms and Common Phrases

• "Complacence is the enemy of progress.": A proverb meaning that being satisfied with the current situation prevents improvement.
• "A false sense of complacence": A feeling of security that is not based on reality.
  • The ceasefire created a false sense of complacence among the citizens.

Noun

1. the feeling you have when you are satisfied with yourself
   • his complacency was absolutely disgusting