Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. Great happiness; bliss.
- n. An instance of great happiness.
- n. A cause or source of happiness.
- n. An appropriate and pleasing manner or style: felicity of expression.
- n. An instance of appropriate and pleasing manner or style.
- n. Archaic Good fortune.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. Happiness; bliss; blessedness; a blissful or happy state.
- n. That which produces or promotes happiness; a felicitous circumstance or state of things; a source of happiness: most commonly in the plural.
- n. A skilful or happy faculty or turn; felicitous adroitness or propriety; a happy knack or choice; appropriateness: as, a rare felicity of phrase.
- n. An appropriate or happy turn of thought or expression.
- n. In astrology, a favorable aspect.
- n. Synonyms Blessedness, Bliss, etc. (see happiness); joy, comfort, blissfulness, success, good fortune.
- n. Aptness.
Wiktionary
- n. Happiness.
- n. Apt and pleasing style in writing, speech, etc.
- n. Something that is either a source of happiness or particularly apt.
- n. Reproduction of a sign with fidelity. eg. "The quotation was rendered with felicity."
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. The state of being happy; blessedness; blissfulness; enjoyment of good.
- n. That which promotes happiness; a successful or gratifying event; prosperity; blessing.
- n. A pleasing faculty or accomplishment.
WordNet 3.0
- n. state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy
- n. pleasing and appropriate manner or style (especially manner or style of expression)
Etymologies
- From Latin felicitās ("luck"), from Latin felix ("lucky"). (Wiktionary)
- Middle English felicite, from Old French felicite, from Latin fēlīcitās, from fēlīx, fēlīc-, fortunate; see dhē(i)- in Indo-European roots. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“Look on me as your friend, dear Matilda, - be explicit - do not consider the Count or myself; speak your wishes, your hopes, and be assured that your felicity is my first wish, whatever it may cost me.”
“Holy love to God as the chief good and our felicity is the power of godliness, the very life and soul of religion, without which all external professions and performances are but a shell and carcase: now here we have some of the expressions of that love.”
Commentary on the Whole Bible Volume III (Job to Song of Solomon)
“Its force, its felicity is in its reach toward the ineffable.”
“Thus, with a spirit wrapped in felicity, for victory hailed him from without, and love seemed to woo him to the dearest transports within, he wrote the following letter to Wallace: –”
“That the great are not as happy as they seem, that the external circumstances of fortune and rank do not constitute felicity, is asserted by every moralist; the historian can seldom, consistently with his dignity, pause to illustrate this truth, it is therefore to the biographer we must have recourse.”
“I am convinced that felicity is not confined to any particular station, or condition in life; yet methinks some are better calculated to afford it to me, than others.”
The Coquette, or, The History of Eliza Wharton: A Novel Founded on Fact
“In this seat of felicity is every enjoyment which fancy can form, or friendship, with affluence, bestow; but still my mind frequently returns to the happy shades of my nativity.”
The Coquette, or, The History of Eliza Wharton: A Novel Founded on Fact
“But human felicity is short and uncertain; a second marriage brought upon him so much disquiet, as, for”
“The greatness of this future felicity is declared and illustrated,”
Commentary on the Whole Bible Volume VI (Acts to Revelation)
““I feel the highest gratitude and attachment to my country—her felicity is the most fervent prayer of my heart.””
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘felicity’.
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GRE Barrons Wordlist
A complete Barron's Wordlist for GRE preparation. Your online flashcard replacement.
abase, abash, abate, abbreviate, abdicate, aberrant, aberration, abet, abeyance, abhor, abject, abjure and 4087 more...
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Words
phantasmagoria, eviscerate, avast, simulacrum, varicose, oblique, gestalt, ersatz, vernal, vivace, stellate, synecdoche and 321 more...
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Sue's favorite words
panache, flair, pantaloons, periwinkle, pumpernickel, persnickety, cachet, coquette, élan, iris, ambrosia, keen and 99 more...
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Unknown
coalition, cabinet, tweet, defuse, steep, ancestral, mindset, breach, infraction, egregious, curb, backbite and 282 more...
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Interesting words
A list of words that are odd or words that I have looked up.
concupiscence, brize, scree, scoria, forestaff, spanaemia, valetudinarianism, distasture, pyrethrum, laudanum, gentian, bicameral and 11184 more...
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From reading
Collected from reading
venerate, reprobate, reticent, adoration, ethereal, ephemeral, equivocal, contumacious, heinous, solicitous, agnostic, aberration and 335 more...
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#faveword
Words chosen as favorites for the Twitter hashtag #faveword.
autumnal, grotto, chiaroscuro, sfumato, homunculus, zing, zest, effervescent, bewitch, avuncular, susurrus, Styrofoam and 205 more...
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of Montreal
Every time I finally decipher Kevin Barnes's song lyrics, I feel somewhat smarter.
These are strange/big/obscure words and phrases from the lyrics of the band 'of Montreal' (intentiona...southern hemisphe..., paradigm, Phaidon Press, permutation, List Christie, Gemini Tactics, eluardian, persecution complex, Himmlers, parabola, Mono Club, subconscious mass... and 132 more...
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utopia
Words used in the book utopia by sir thomas more
credence, proverb, provost, dissimulation, espy, neologism, vouchsafe, liberality, weal, inquisitive, assentation, verily and 21 more...
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BN
élan, plum, meraki, anthology, midori, alegria, novel, circa, madeleine, felicity, odette, ode
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Vocab to Learn
philander, affidavit, ambrosia, niggardly, insipid, sedulous, pithy, felicity, lurid, indolent, ponderous, hirsute and 2 more...
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big book gre
abase, abbess, abbey, abbot, abdicate, abdomen, abdominal, abduction, abed, aberration, abet, abeyance and 6691 more...
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gre2
aberrant, aberration, aboveboard, abrasive, abstemious, acme, admonish, affable, affluent, alacrity, allegory, alleviate and 1834 more...
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♥
ambrosia, inamorata, gossamer, lily-white, hummingbird, roucoulement, poppy, daisy, calypso, lunula, lamb, dove and 1526 more...
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Happy, happy, joy, joy.
Feel good words.
great pleasure, joyfulness, jubilation, triumph, exultation, rejoicing, happiness, gladness, exhilaration, exuberance, bliss, felicity and 95 more...
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Words from Moby Dick
frigate, presumptuous, genteel, succor, hearthstone, gentry, factitious, bilious, insurgent, portent, enervate, genuflect and 303 more...
Tweets
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