complacency

What does “complacency” mean?

noun.a feeling of smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one's achievements.

SAT Usage

This term often appears in passages discussing themes of self-awareness, ambition, or social dynamics. It emphasizes a potentially dangerous level of self-satisfaction that can lead to stagnation or failure to recognize challenges, distinguishing it from words like "contentment," which lacks the negative connotation of hindrance in progress.

Common Confusions

Complacency implies a dangerous self-satisfaction that hinders progress, while contentment usually suggests a healthy sense of fulfillment without the negative implications of stagnation.

Example Sentences

• Complacency after early success led to the team's downfall.

• The complacency she felt was overwhelming.

Word Parts: How to Remember “complacency”

Break “complacency” into its parts: co- (together, with). Knowing roots like these helps you decode unfamiliar SAT vocabulary.

• Prefix: co- together, with (Latin)