complacence

noun

kəm-ˈplā-sᵊn(t)s How to pronounce complacence (audio)
Definition of complacencenext
1
as in vanity
an often unjustified feeling of being pleased with oneself or with one's situation or achievements the complacence of some of the rich kids at the exclusive private school

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disregard
lack of interest or concern someone who displayed a startling complacence toward his own financial plight

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of complacence Stuck here on the planet’s surface, our mundane perspective is rarely challenged, so seeing both our world and its lone natural satellite side by side is a rare gift, a jolt to our cosmic complacence. — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 9 Oct. 2025 This flagrant exclusion of such a win-win prospect largely stems from the aversion many environmental activists have of any potential solution that might lead to complacence on aggregate consumption. — Saleem H. Ali, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025 His Finnish homeland, which shares an 800-mile border with Russia, has not been afforded the luxury of complacence. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Mar. 2025 The United States veered too far in the direction of complacence after the Cold War, discounting China and Russia’s competitive potential. — Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 25 July 2022 But the rise and fall of Japan's chipmakers suggests that leaders of the industry today have no room for complacence. — Eamon Barrett, Fortune, 22 June 2021 But surely there must be a place for civil disobedience and protest that is sufficiently disruptive to rouse people from complacence. — Yochai Benkler, Foreign Affairs, 4 Apr. 2012
Recent Examples of Synonyms for complacence
  1. vanity
  2. disregard
  3. ego
  4. indifference
  5. pride
  6. complacency
  7. arrogance
Noun
  • Rather than through a cold call or email, the scammers lure them through websites offering self-publishing or vanity publishing.
    — Snigdha Poonam, The Dial, 13 Oct. 2026
  • And the angelic youth Dorian Gray’s deadly descent into vanity and vice—ignited by a hubristic obsession with his own image—eerily foreshadows the grim trajectory of Wilde’s later years.
    — Hannah Aizenman, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of vanity
Noun
  • Their leaders appeared to disregard reports that Iranian decision-makers had called on them, in July 2026, to close the Strait of Bab el-Mandeb to maritime traffic.
    — Laurent Bonnefoy, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Any choice for or against the work, including the choice of no-choice—of indifference or disregard—confronts the question of authenticity.
    — Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of disregard
Noun
  • Both teams now limp into Saturday's game in Austin with bruised bodies and egos, and carrying a whiff of desperation for a win to keep the season from unraveling.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Did that feel like a parody of my ego, or also a way to make fun of it?
    — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of ego
Noun
  • Then again, the creature’s indifference suggests there may be no deeper meaning available.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The reason is not indifference; no brand team believes the pharmacy is unimportant.
    — Harshit Jain, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of indifference
Noun
  • Some will say past results don’t matter, but many of TCU’s veterans are used to beating Baylor and take pride it in.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Behind the reputation that surrounded them, there was humor, loyalty, and pride.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of pride
Noun
  • His household becomes a microcosm of a broader societal moral decay, fuelled by detachment, indifference, corruption, complacency and the pursuit of comfort.
    — Katherine Brodsky, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
  • But Libertad underscores that there is far too much at stake in Puerto Rico at this moment for the band to operate from a place of complacency.
    — Vanessa Diaz, Rolling Stone, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of complacency
Noun
  • An America that seeks justice with dignity and wisdom, not arrogance and gore.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
  • These fascinating, illuminating episodes raise the question of whether great fiction requires the kind of single-mindedness and even arrogance that McCarthy cultivated.
    — New York Times, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of arrogance

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comping
complacence
complacency
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Cite this Entry

“Complacence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/complacence. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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