content
1 Americannoun
-
Usually contents.
-
something that is contained.
the contents of a box.
-
the subjects or topics covered in a book or document.
-
the chapters or other formal divisions of a book or document.
a table of contents.
-
-
something that is to be expressed through some medium, as speech, writing, or any of various arts.
a poetic form adequate to a poetic content.
-
significance or profundity; meaning.
a clever play that lacks content.
-
substantive information or creative material viewed in contrast to its actual or potential manner of presentation.
publishers, record companies, and other content providers; a flashy website, but without much content.
-
that which may be perceived in something.
the latent versus the manifest content of a dream.
-
Philosophy, Logic. the sum of the attributes or notions comprised in a given conception; the substance or matter of cognition.
-
power of containing; holding capacity.
The bowl's content is three quarts.
-
volume, area, or extent; size.
-
the amount contained.
-
Linguistics. the system of meanings or semantic values specific to a language (opposed to expression).
-
-
Mathematics. the greatest common divisor of all the coefficients of a given polynomial.
-
any abstraction of the concept of length, area, or volume.
-
adjective
-
satisfied with what one is or has; not wanting more or anything else.
-
British. agreeing; assenting.
-
Archaic. willing.
verb (used with object)
-
contents,
present (3rd person singular)
-
contented,
past participle, past
-
contenting
present participle
noun
-
the state or feeling of being contented; satisfaction; contentment.
His content was threatened.
-
(in the British House of Lords) an affirmative vote or voter.
noun
-
(often plural) everything that is inside a container
the contents of a box
-
(usually plural)
-
the chapters or divisions of a book
-
a list, printed at the front of a book, of chapters or divisions together with the number of the first page of each
-
-
the meaning or significance of a poem, painting, or other work of art, as distinguished from its style or form
-
all that is contained or dealt with in a discussion, piece of writing, etc; substance
-
the capacity or size of a thing
-
the proportion of a substance contained in an alloy, mixture, etc
the lead content of petrol
adjective
-
mentally or emotionally satisfied with things as they are
-
assenting to or willing to accept circumstances, a proposed course of action, etc
verb
noun
interjection
Synonym Usage
See satisfy.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
contentsimple
-
contentssimple
-
have contentedperfect
-
has contentedperfect
-
am contentingprogressive
-
are contentingprogressive
-
is contentingprogressive
-
have been contentingperfect progressive
-
has been contentingperfect progressive
Past
-
contentedsimple
-
had contentedperfect
-
was contentingprogressive
-
were contentingprogressive
-
had been contentingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of content1
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English (from Anglo-French ), from Medieval Latin contentum, noun use of neuter of Latin contentus (past participle of continēre “to contain”), equivalent to con- “with, together” + ten- “hold” + -tus past participle suffix; see con-
Origin of content2
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin contentus “satisfied,” special use of past participle of continēre; see content 1
Explanation
If you feel content, you're satisfied and happy. The content of a book, movie, or song is what it's about: the topic. This word has two main meanings. The first has to do with being pleased and satisfied (feeling content) or making someone else feel happy and at peace with things (contenting them). The other meaning has to do with subject matter: the content of a history class might be American history. The content of a math class might be geometry. As long as there's a topic or subject, there's content.
Vocabulary lists containing content
Unit 1: Telling Details
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare, Act I
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Unit 1: Telling Details
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The team altered only the movements around the eyes and eyebrows, leaving verbal content and vocal delivery unchanged.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
Comcast’s content and experiences business earned revenue of $10.5 billion, up 6.5% from the previous year.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
The legal dispute stunned Hollywood, where the only thing people take more seriously than content security is their relationships with major studios.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
"Monitoring reports show thousands of accounts and posts have faced suspensions, reduced visibility and sharing limits, including journalists, human rights defenders, civil society actors and content creators," they said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026
The garter snake was content in the warm hollow of Tansy’s hand.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
Not only can shipping labels and declared insurance values reveal their potential contents, “the simple name PSA or Collectors in the address box is the threat,” Rovell wrote.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
Dying cells that remain in tissues can eventually rupture and release their contents, contributing to chronic inflammation.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 5, 2026
The plaintiffs also alleged that Starbucks failed to include a disclaimer around the drinks’ calorie contents as required by the Food and Drug Administration.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
At first, the relationship was mostly the source of mockery that someone of the his stature apparently needs a full-time ego masseuse who often totes around enormous bags, which have generated speculation about their contents.
From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026
The contents of Abuelita’s bulto looked like it may have belonged to El Niño Fidencio, the famous curandero of olden times, and I watched in awe as she sorted the ingredients for Pita’s treatment.
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
It’s a quiet, contented life, “solid and safe,” Livia says, except that she remains disturbed by traumas from her youth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
Molly said both she and Elsie are now doing well, with the newborn described as a "really contented baby".
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
Many fans have blamed her relationship with Kelce, suggesting that the couple’s contented monogamy means Swift has lost her edge as the queen of heartbreak songs.
From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026
A genuinely contented polity would be indifferent to such criticism.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026
I watched Gus and Bertha sitting there gazing at the night sky, the corners of their mouths turned up into contented smiles.
From "Wish" by Barbara O'Connor
Verstappen has reeled off four consecutive podium finishes and won three of the last four Austin races, only missing out last year when Ferrari claimed a one-two, contenting himself instead with a sprint race win.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2025
By 2020, Zawahiri had become increasingly distant, contenting himself to write books and essays and only rarely appearing on video.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 1, 2022
He’s been playing it safe in Brooklyn, contenting himself with his Ma, his girlfriend and a modest managerial job at Starbucks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 29, 2020
He ate “selectively and moderately at the Kremlin dinner” and “also stayed off the vodka contenting himself with some large gulps of red wine,” according to the note.
From The Guardian ● Jul. 17, 2019
In contenting themselves with fixing their own opinions by a method which would lead another man to a different result, they betray their feeble hold upon the conception of what truth is.
From The pragmatic theory of truth as developed by Peirce, James, and Dewey by Delton Loring Geyer
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
