self-satisfaction

noun

self-sat·​is·​fac·​tion ˌself-ˌsa-təs-ˈfak-shən How to pronounce self-satisfaction (audio)
: a usually smug satisfaction with oneself or one's position or achievements

Examples of self-satisfaction in a Sentence

so many of the Web site's self-portraits give the impression of clueless self-satisfaction
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.
Trump himself personifies stupidity’s essential feature — self-satisfaction, an inability to recognize the flaws in your thinking. David Brooks, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2025 Just as there’s no dramatic build-up to Maria landing the part, there’s no romance to the process of acting it, nor the slightest whiff of self-satisfaction in recreating iconic scenes. David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 21 Mar. 2025 Corporate leaders will be called upon to overcome self-satisfaction with progress made in the advancement of gender parity for women, especially those in senior and middle management. Michael Peregrine, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024 Megalopolis posits a world of clueless liberal self-satisfaction, missing every point of contemporary alertness to ongoing lawfare and sedition. Armond White, National Review, 4 Oct. 2024 Nothing was off-limits in Mad, a newsstand stalwart that would reach peak annual sales in the 1970s of 2.5 million issues by delivering belly laughs and self-satisfaction to America’s class clowns through cartoons, parodies, sarcastic characters and an unending stream of gross-out gags. Patrick Sauer, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Sep. 2024 There was more than a whiff of self-satisfaction from the Kremlin on Wednesday, after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s trip to Mongolia at the start of the week went without a hitch — despite an International Criminal Court arrest warrant hanging over the visit. Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2024 The potential rewards for their work had always been self-satisfaction, a few tip-jar-sized donations, and maybe some nice emails. Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 17 May 2024 Bleakley said people can often use such cases for their own self-satisfaction, dehumanizing victims in the process. Daysia Tolentino, NBC News, 5 Jan. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of self-satisfaction was in 1605

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Cite this Entry

“Self-satisfaction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-satisfaction. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

self-satisfaction

noun
self-sat·​is·​fac·​tion
ˌself-ˌsat-əs-ˈfak-shən
: a usually overly satisfied feeling about oneself or one's achievements
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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