complacency
/kəmˈpleɪsənˌsiː/noun
complacency is spelled C-O-M-P-L-A-C-E-N-C-Y: 11 letters and 4 syllables. It appears 1.1 times per million words in written English, the 27,150th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, complacency means “A feeling of contented self-satisfaction, especially when unaware of upcoming trouble” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of complacency is complacencies.
How many letters and syllables are in complacency?
| Letters | 11: C-O-M-P-L-A-C-E-N-C-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 4 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.1 times per million words; the 27,150th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is complacency?
Complacency appears 1.1 times per million words in written English, the 27,150th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce complacency?
- /kəmˈpleɪsənˌsiː/
Complacency has 4 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-complacency.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of complacency
- complacencies plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does complacency mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A feeling of contented self-satisfaction, especially when unaware of upcoming trouble.
- 2
An instance of self-satisfaction.
- 3
Passivity as a result of contentment with the current situation.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Complacency in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | suffisance , complaisance |
| German | Selbstgefälligkeit, Selbstzufriedenheit, Bequemlichkeit, Wohlbehagen |
| Portuguese | desvanecimento |
| Spanish | suficiencia, autocomplacencia |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does complacency come from?
Late Middle English complacence, from Late Latin complacentia. Compare French complaisance.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).