complaisance

[ kuhm-pley-suhns, -zuhns, kom-pluh-zans ]

noun

1. the quality of being complaisant.
2. a complaisant act.

Other Words From

• noncom·plaisance noun
• uncom·plaisance noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of complaisance¹

From French, dating back to 1645–55; complaisant, -ance

Example Sentences

The flames that destroyed this woman were in the hope that more of us would search the dark corners of our own souls and question our complaisance and complicity in the destruction of human life.

From Salon

Or maybe the way to think about it is that she right-sized her career, away from the silly and grim expectations of complaisance that come with universal acclaim and toward a more earnest plane.

From New York Times

“He is, indeed—but, considering the inducement, my dear Miss Eliza, we cannot wonder at his complaisance; for who would object to such a partner?”

From Literature

The stranger thought that her small talk was a way of covering her complaisance, so that when she began to soap herself he gave into temptation and went a step further.

From Literature

“The hope for a privileged relationship demanded big gestures and compromises, special restraint and complaisance of the tango partners,” Aleksandr Baunov wrote in an opinion piece on the analytical website Carnegie.ru, of which he is editor.

From New York Times