Complacere

Complacere is a Latin verb meaning to be pleasing to, to please, or to win the favor of someone. It expresses that a thing or action is agreeable or satisfactory to a person. The term is typically used with the dative case to indicate the person for whom something is pleasing, and with a noun phrase, an infinitive, or a clause that specifies what is pleasing.

Etymology and classification: Complacere is formed from the prefix com- with placere (to please). It belongs to the second conjugation in Latin. The principal parts are commonly given as complaceo, complacere, complacui, complacitum. Its present and imperfect forms, like placet, often appear in constructions where the thing that pleases is the subject and the person who benefits is in the dative.

Usage and constructions: The central pattern is something akin to “it pleases [to/for] someone,” often with a dative of the person and a subject that may be a noun phrase or a subordinate clause. For example, hoc tibi complacet translates roughly as “that will please you” or “that is pleasing to you.” Another common construction is mihi complacet facere id, meaning “it pleases me to do that.” In classical Latin, complacere is used more sparingly than placere, with placere sometimes preferred for general “it pleases” statements.

Relation to related terms: Complacere is closely related to placere, the broader verb “to please.” Both can express liking, favor, or suitability, but placere is more common in everyday constructions, while complacere emphasizes the sense of winning or securing favor in specific contexts.

See also: Latin verb placere, Latin dative of advantage/disadvantage constructions, Latin verb conjugation, Romance-language descendants of Latin complacere.