satisfaction
B1Formal and neutral. Commonly used in formal writing (business, academic, legal) but also prevalent in everyday contexts.
Definition
Meaning
The feeling of contentment or pleasure that comes from fulfilling a need, desire, or expectation.
Can also refer to the act of fulfilling an obligation (e.g., 'demand satisfaction'), the compensation for a wrong (e.g., 'satisfaction of a debt'), or in a formal/archaic sense, the acceptance of a challenge to a duel.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily an uncountable, abstract noun, but can be used countably in specific contexts (e.g., 'It's one of my greatest satisfactions'). Focuses on the emotional state resulting from a fulfilled condition.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage. Spelling is identical.
Connotations
Slightly more common in formal British English contexts like 'customer satisfaction'. In American business jargon, 'satisfaction' is heavily used but often paired with 'guaranteed' or '100%'.
Frequency
Very high frequency in both varieties, with near-identical usage patterns.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
derive/get satisfaction from + noun/-ingexpress satisfaction with + nounto one's satisfactionwith satisfactionVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “to one's heart's content/satisfaction”
- “cry satisfaction (archaic)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
"Our primary metric is customer satisfaction, which we track monthly."
Academic
"The study found a high correlation between autonomy and job satisfaction."
Everyday
"She felt a real sense of satisfaction after finishing the marathon."
Technical
"The algorithm iterates until it reaches a convergence satisfaction threshold."
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The manager aims to satisfy all client requirements promptly.
- A good cup of tea never fails to satisfy.
American English
- The new policy didn't satisfy the community's demands.
- One burger should satisfy your hunger.
adverb
British English
- The contract was satisfactorily completed ahead of schedule.
- He nodded satisfactorily.
American English
- The problem was resolved satisfactorily.
- She performed the task satisfactorily.
adjective
British English
- The service was perfectly satisfactory, if not exceptional.
- We received a satisfactory explanation.
American English
- His grades were satisfactory, so he made the team.
- The repair work was deemed satisfactory.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I get satisfaction from helping my friends.
- The food was good and gave me great satisfaction.
- Customer satisfaction is very important for our company.
- He looked at his finished painting with satisfaction.
- She derived immense satisfaction from mentoring junior colleagues.
- The judge ruled that the apology did not provide adequate satisfaction for the harm caused.
- The profound satisfaction gleaned from scholarly pursuit is often its own reward.
- They sought satisfaction for the breach of contract through litigation.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
SATisFACTion - think of getting a good SAT score or completing a task (FACT) - both bring a feeling of SATisFACTion.
Conceptual Metaphor
SATISFACTION IS A CONTAINER (He was full of satisfaction), SATISFACTION IS A JOURNEY'S END (He finally found satisfaction).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing with 'satisfactoriness' or 'удовлетворённость' which can be more passive; English 'satisfaction' often implies an active feeling of accomplishment. The Russian word 'сатисфакция' is a false friend and is only used in the archaic sense of demanding a duel.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'satisfaction' as a verb (incorrect: 'It satisfactions me'). The verb is 'satisfy'. Confusing 'satisfaction' (feeling) with 'satisfactory' (adjective meaning acceptable).
Practice
Quiz
Which phrase is a common collocation with 'satisfaction' in a business context?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Primarily uncountable. You say 'a lot of satisfaction', not 'many satisfactions'. It can be countable in specific, often formal or legal, contexts (e.g., 'the satisfactions of life', 'demand satisfactions').
'Satisfaction' is a noun describing a feeling. 'Satisfactory' is an adjective meaning 'good enough' or 'acceptable'. A 'satisfactory' result may or may not lead to personal 'satisfaction'.
It's uncommon. The typical prepositions are 'with' (express satisfaction with), 'of' (satisfaction of a need), 'from' (derive satisfaction from), and 'to' (to one's satisfaction).
Overwhelmingly yes. It denotes a positive emotional state. In very rare, archaic legal/dueling contexts ('give satisfaction'), it can be neutral, but this usage is obsolete.