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“Complacent” or “Complaisant”

complacent / complaisant are similar-sounding terms with different meanings (referred to as homophones). To better understand the differences, see below for definitions, pronunciation guides, and example sentences using each term.

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Definitions

What each term means

Same sound, different spellings and meanings, shown with a pronunciation guide for each term.

complacent k·ah·m·p·l·EY·s·ah·n·t

  • adjectivecontented to a fault with oneself or one's actions.

complaisant k·ah·m·p·l·EY·s·ah·n·t

  • adjectiveshowing a cheerful willingness to do favors for others.
Usage

Examples in context

Real sentences for each spelling. Hover an example to copy it.

“complacent”

  • …the Titans) had conquered the complacent universe by exploiting humanity's reliance…
  • 2015 - Complacent

“complaisant”

No example sentences found for this spelling.

Examples are Wikipedia snippets under the CC ShareAlike 3.0 license. Definitions are drawn from WordNet.

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