content

¹ American  

[kon-tent] / ˈkɒn tɛnt /

noun

1. Usually contents.

   1. something that is contained.

      the contents of a box.

   2. the subjects or topics covered in a book or document.

   3. the chapters or other formal divisions of a book or document.

      a table of contents.

2. 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.

3. significance or profundity; meaning.

   a clever play that lacks content.

4. 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.

5. that which may be perceived in something.

   the latent versus the manifest content of a dream.

6. Philosophy, Logic. the sum of the attributes or notions comprised in a given conception; the substance or matter of cognition.

7. power of containing; holding capacity.

   The bowl's content is three quarts.

8. volume, area, or extent; size.

9. the amount contained.

10. Linguistics. the system of meanings or semantic values specific to a language (opposed to expression).

11. 1. Mathematics. the greatest common divisor of all the coefficients of a given polynomial.

    2. any abstraction of the concept of length, area, or volume.

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content ² American  

[kuhn-tent] / kənˈtɛnt /

adjective

1. satisfied with what one is or has; not wanting more or anything else.

2. British. agreeing; assenting.

3. Archaic. willing.

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verb (used with object)

• contents,
  present (3rd person singular)
• contented,
  past participle,  past
• contenting
  present participle

1. to make content.

   These things content me.

   Synonyms:

   gratify, appease

   Antonyms:

   dissatisfy

noun

1. the state or feeling of being contented; satisfaction; contentment.

   His content was threatened.

2. (in the British House of Lords) an affirmative vote or voter.

content ¹ British  

/ ˈkɒntɛnt /

noun

1. (often plural) everything that is inside a container

   the contents of a box

2. (usually plural)

   1. the chapters or divisions of a book

   2. a list, printed at the front of a book, of chapters or divisions together with the number of the first page of each

3. the meaning or significance of a poem, painting, or other work of art, as distinguished from its style or form

4. all that is contained or dealt with in a discussion, piece of writing, etc; substance

5. the capacity or size of a thing

6. the proportion of a substance contained in an alloy, mixture, etc

   the lead content of petrol

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content ² British  

/ kənˈtɛnt /

adjective

1. mentally or emotionally satisfied with things as they are

2. assenting to or willing to accept circumstances, a proposed course of action, etc

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verb

1. (tr) to make (oneself or another person) content or satisfied

   to content oneself with property

noun

1. peace of mind; mental or emotional satisfaction

interjection

1. (in the House of Lords) a formal expression of assent, as opposed to the expression not content

content Idioms  

1. see to one's heart's content.

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Synonym Usage

See satisfy.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• contentment
  noun
• contentness
  noun
• contentable
  adjective
• contently
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• contenting
  present
• contented
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• content
  simple
• contents
  simple
• have contented
  perfect
• has contented
  perfect
• am contenting
  progressive
• are contenting
  progressive
• is contenting
  progressive
• have been contenting
  perfect progressive
• has been contenting
  perfect progressive

Past

• contented
  simple
• had contented
  perfect
• was contenting
  progressive
• were contenting
  progressive
• had been contenting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will content
  simple
• will have contented
  perfect
• will be contenting
  progressive
• will have been contenting
  perfect progressive

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

content contents contented contenting

Apart from one wild slog early in his innings, McKinney batted with a classical elegance while Rhodes was content to play the supporting role in a stand which stretched Durham's lead towards 300.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026

But young Indians consume content and politics differently.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

Sermarini wasn’t aware of the trend when he named his company in 2023, but its marketing content now pokes fun at over-the-top looksmaxxing, he said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

The UK probe will look into whether TikTok is doing enough under UK law to protect children from harmful content.

From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026

Or were they all just mindless machines, content with their place in the world?

From "The Wild Robot Escapes" by Peter Brown

In agriculture, fertilizers can be enclosed inside PHA beads that gradually release their contents as the plastic breaks down.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 17, 2026

Rather than empty the contents only to return them, I thought, “downsizing opportunity!”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026

Despite the loss of the trailer and its contents, Vallejo said she, her husband and the volunteers will press on.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026

Prosecutors argued its highly-detailed contents could be corroborated to an extent unlikely with a fabricated confession.

From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026

And his black bag was ripped open and empty, the contents probably recovered by their owners.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

A genuinely contented polity would be indifferent to such criticism.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026

And it is not hard to find contented heat pump customers.

From BBC ● Mar. 22, 2026

Rather, that contented knowing seasons the confidence with which O’Hara shaped all of her women, whether mothers or, like Patty Leigh in “The Studio,” mother figures.

From Salon ● Feb. 4, 2026

But if I were to ever see anything remotely approaching this level in the theater, I could end my career a contented critic.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 19, 2025

It would have been impossible to find three more contented animals that night.

From "The Incredible Journey" by Sheila Burnford

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

When it comes to choosing a companion for life we should none of us be contenting ourselves with bare bones; in matters of the heart there really are plenty more fish in the sea.

From The Guardian ● Feb. 14, 2016

Euclid did not deem it necessary to attempt a classification of lines, contenting himself with defining only a straight line and a circle, and these are really the only lines needed in elementary geometry.

From The Teaching of Geometry by David Eugene Smith

Related Words

• comfortable
• contented
• fulfilled
• gratified
• happy
• pleased
• satisfied
• willing