Word of the Day - 03/09/26
complaisant
/kəm'pleɪsənt/(adj.): showing a cheerful willingness to do favors for others
The complaisant employee was always quick to offer help to his colleagues, making him popular in the office.
Word Origin
The word 'complaisant' originates from the French word 'complaisant', which itself comes from the Latin verb 'complacere'. This Latin verb is composed of the prefix 'com-' (an intensive prefix, meaning 'thoroughly' or 'with') and 'placere' (meaning 'to please'). Therefore, 'complaisant' conveys the sense of being thoroughly pleasing or eager to please.
Words with similar origins include 'please' and 'pleasure', both directly from Old French 'plaisir', derived from Latin 'placere'. 'Placid' also shares this root, coming from Latin 'placidus' ('calm'), related to 'placere'.
Complaisant and complacent look similar because they both derive from Latin verbs related to “pleasing.” Complaisant comes from complacēre (“to please someone”), while complacent comes from complacēns (“pleasing oneself”). Their similarity in spelling and sound reflects this shared root, but their meanings diverged: complaisant emphasizes pleasing others, whereas complacent emphasizes self-satisfaction. So, they are related in origin but have opposite social directions—outward versus inward focus.