compiacenza

Compiacenza is an Italian noun meaning satisfaction, pleasure, or gratification, and, in some contexts, complacency. The term derives from the verb compiacere, meaning to please, which itself comes from Latin complacere, formed with the prefix con- plus placere (to be pleasing). In contemporary Italian, compiacenza is most often used in formal or literary language to denote a feeling of pleased approval or contentment in relation to a person, action, or situation. The phrase con compiacenza means “with pleasure” or “with satisfaction” and appears in polite or ceremonial registers.

Compiacenza is closely related to compiacimento, another noun tied to the act of pleasing or the sense of gratification. Both terms occur in historical and administrative writing but compiacenza retains a slightly softer, more general nuance of sentiment, while compiacimento can imply a more explicit or inward sense of gratification.

In everyday use, speakers may substitute piacere (to please, to like) or soddisfazione (satisfaction) depending on formality and nuance. The word is not a common term in casual speech but remains standard in legal, diplomatic, or literary Italian.

See also: compiacere, compiacimento, piacere, soddisfazione.