felicity

Meaning

  1. (uncountable) Happiness; (countable) an instance of this.
  2. (uncountable) An apt and pleasing style in speech, writing, etc.; (countable) an apt and pleasing choice of words.
  3. (rare, uncountable) Good luck; success; (countable) An instance of unexpected good luck; a stroke of luck; also, a lucky characteristic.
  4. (uncountable) Reproduction of a sign with fidelity.
  5. (countable) Something that is either a source of happiness or particularly apt.
  6. (uncountable) Period (as opposed to lifetime) utility.

Frequency

C1
Pronounced as (IPA)
/fɪˈlɪsɪti/
Etymology

In summary

From Middle English felicite (“bliss, happiness, joy; delight, pleasure; a source of happiness; good fortune; prosperity; well-being; of a planet: in an influential position”) [and other forms], borrowed from Old French felicité (modern French félicité (“bliss, happiness; felicity”)), from Latin fēlīcitātem, the accusative singular of fēlīcitās (“fertility, fruitfulness; happiness, felicity; good fortune; success”), from fēlix (“happy; blessed, fortunate, lucky; fertile, fruitful; prosperous; auspicious, favourable”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁(y)- (“to nurse, suckle”)) + -itās (a variant of -tās (suffix forming nouns indicating a state of being)).

Bookmark this

Improve your pronunciation

English

Start learning English with learnfeliz.

Practice speaking and memorizing "felicity" and many other words and sentences in English.

Go to our English course page

Notes

Sign in to write sticky notes
Continue