Complaisant
[kəm-PLAY-sənt]
Part of speech: adjective
Origin: French, mid 17th century
1.
Willing to please others; obliging; agreeable.
Examples of Complaisant in a sentence
"Larger breeds of dogs tend to be incredibly sweet and complaisant pets."
"The dentist found that her new receptionist was both competent and complaisant."
About Complaisant
This word developed in French from the word “complaire” (acquiesce in order to please), but originally came from the Latin word “complacere” (to please).
Did you Know?
While complaisant is similar in spelling and in pronunciation to the word complacent, they have very different meanings. Both complaisant and complacent come from the Latin word “complacere” (to please), but have evolved over time to comprise the different aspects of this term. Complaisant describes a sense of being willing to please others, while complacent means being self-satisfied (or even smug) with one’s personal accomplishments — to a negative degree.
