'Contentment' is Latin for 'being contained' — desires held within bounds. Cousin of 'continent.'
A state of happiness and satisfaction; peaceful ease of mind arising from being pleased with one's situation and having no desire for something more or different.
From Middle English 'contentement,' from Old French 'contentement' (satisfaction), from 'contenter' (to satisfy, to please), from Latin 'contentus' (satisfied, contained, restrained), past participle of 'continēre' (to hold together, to contain, to restrain), from 'con-' (together) + 'tenēre' (to hold). Contentment is thus etymologically 'the state of being contained' — held within bounds, not reaching for more, satisfied with what one holds. The same Latin verb
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