Translation
content, satisfied
Examples
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I am content with little.
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He was content with his lot.
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The soldiers were not content with the plunder.
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The woman was content with few things.
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They were satisfied with these words.
Contentus, contenta, contentum. Strictly the perfect participle of contineo, "hold together, keep within bounds", so a contented man in Latin is one who is held inside his limits rather than one who is pleased. It governs the plain ablative: parvo contentus, sorte sua contentus, and with an infinitive or a quod clause when the thing he settles for is an action.
The trap is that there are two of them. The second contentus is the participle of contendo, "strain, stretch", and means "taut, tense, strained" - contento poplite, with the knee braced. Same spelling, opposite temperament. English content and contentment descend from the first, contention and contentious from the second.
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contentus: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Latin word "contentus" (content, satisfied): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 9.