Word of the Day, July 04: 'Complaisant'

Complaisant
Pronunciation: UK/kəmˈpleɪ.zənt/ or US/kəmˈpleɪ.sənt/

Meaning:
'Complaisant' means willing to please others, often by being agreeable, polite, accommodating, or eager to satisfy someone’s wishes.

Examples for daily usage:

• The manager remained compliant during difficult negotiations.
• She gave a complaisant smile and listened carefully.

Origin and history

The word 'complaisant' derives directly from the French word of the same spelling, which comes from the present participle of the Middle French verb 'complaire' (meaning 'to gratify or acquiesce').

Ultimately, this traces back to the Latin verb complacēre, which means "to please greatly'. It first entered the English language in the mid-1600s (around 1650).

Cultural significance and modern usage:

The word entered the English language in the mid-17th century. Culturally, it was closely tied to the Renaissance and Enlightenment ideals of "civility" and "courtesy". Being complaisant was an esteemed social virtue—a demonstration of good breeding, politeness, and the ability to keep social interactions harmonious.

Interesting facts:

• Writers such as Jane Austen and Charles Dickens often described polite, socially graceful characters with words like complaisant.
• In many cultures, being complaisant is associated with good manners, hospitality, and respect. In cultures that emphasise assertiveness, however, excessive complaisance may be viewed as a lack of confidence or independence.

Examples from literature:

1. He had been essentially amiable and complaisant in all intercourse with his kind, and this quality had not lost a ray of its fine former lustre. - An Ambitious Woman: A Novel by Edgar Fawcett
2. He was always complaisant and kind, but manifested nothing like attachment: on the contrary, he even seemed to be in some degree affected by the charms of my youngest sister, who was then extremely beautiful.- Wilhelm Meister's apprenticeship and travels, vol. 1 (of 2) by Goethe
3. The examination proceeded smoothly enough, for the complaisant dean confined himself chiefly to the classics. - Mildred Arkell: A Novel. Vol. 2 (of 3) by Mrs. Henry Wood
4. After a march of 60 lis we reached Pao-Tun, where we changed the oulah and where we began to find the Thibetians less complaisant and docile than on the other side of Tsiamdo.-Travels in Tartary, Thibet, and China During the years 1844-5-6. Volume 2 by Huc

Synonyms:

• Accommodating
• Agreeable
• Obliging
• Courteous
• Cooperative

Antonyms

• Stubborn
• Disagreeable
• Uncooperative
• Resistant

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