delectation

[ dee-lek-tey-shuhn ]

noun

1. delight; enjoyment.

delectation

/ ˌdiːlɛkˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. pleasure; enjoyment

Word History and Origins

Origin of delectation¹

1350–1400; Middle English delectacioun < Latin dēlectātiōn- (stem of dēlectātiō ), equivalent to dēlectāt ( us ) ( delectate ) + -iōn- -ion

Example Sentences

In the early 1900s, the property was leased to Laurel Canyon Water Co., which pitched bottled water “ready for your delectation, just as it comes bubbling from the rocks of Laurel Canyon.”

From Los Angeles Times

That show presented the cultures of colonized peoples in Africa and Asia for the delectation of bourgeois Westerners, spurring a profound counter-reaction among Asian and African intellectuals.

From Washington Post

A cross between an observatory and a pleasure dome, his Skyspaces are free-standing chambers designed to frame a rectangle of boundless blue and hold it there for your delectation.

From New York Times

By night she dons fishnet tights and dances as a car model, twerking atop a handsome vintage Cadillac for the drooling delectation of men.

From Los Angeles Times

Add to all this the purpose of the cycle’s making — for the delectation of a world-conquering ruler who spoke of himself in Olympian terms — and you have art with a fair share of unbeautiful features.

From New York Times