complacency

noun

com·​pla·​cen·​cy kəm-ˈplā-sᵊn(t)-sē How to pronounce complacency (audio)
plural complacencies
Synonyms of complacency
1
: a calm sense of well-being and security : the quality or state of being satisfied
especially : satisfaction or self-satisfaction accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies
When it comes to safety, complacency can be dangerous.
… if he avoids the complacency that can accompany quick riches and celebrity—he could ripen into a world-class performer. —Larry Dorman
2
: an instance of usually unaware or uninformed self-satisfaction
And I suggest that there's a complacency there that comes from success.—Alan Shepard, quoted in Yankee

Synonyms of complacency

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Examples of complacency in a Sentence

He sees a dangerous sense of complacency about the U.S. stock market—where investors were emboldened after the 1998 downturn was followed by a resounding snapback. —Bernard Wysocki, Jr., Wall Street Journal, 3 Aug. 1999
He spoke, however, with resignation, even complacency, rather than anguish. —Harriet Ritvo, The Platypus and The Mermaid, 1997
… you say to yourself, "OK, why did it happen? Why did we make those bad engineering decisions we made in 1967 and 1986 with Challenger?" I'll tell you. It's the human element. And I suggest that there's a complacency there that comes from success. —Alan Shepard, Yankee, October 1991
Tony Brace lived in Richmond, in circumstances of impeccable domestic content. Matthew and Susan had visited, in the early days of their marriage; driving home, they had mocked the décor and the connubial complacency. —Penelope Lively, City Of The Mind, 1991
The public was lulled into complacency. a momentary complacency that was quickly dispelled by the shock of cold reality
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That’s the risk Washington is not pricing into its complacency. — Veronique De Rugy, Oc Register, 27 Aug. 2026 All this should be understood not as a reason for complacency but as a rationale for further action. — Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026 None of this is irreversible, which is precisely why the CDC’s complacency is so hard to forgive. — A.j. Russo, Baltimore Sun, 25 Aug. 2026 And the fact that the Fever couldn’t match the Wings’ desperation served as another lesson in limiting complacency. — Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for complacency

Word History

Etymology

see complacent

First Known Use

1650, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of complacency was in 1650

Phrases Containing complacency

Rhymes for complacency

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Browse Nearby Words

complacence
complacency
complacent
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Cite this Entry

“Complacency.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/complacency. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

complacency

noun
com·​pla·​cen·​cy kəm-ˈplās-ᵊn-sē How to pronounce complacency (audio)
: complacence
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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