Meaning 1
A state of deep or serene happiness.
Reach for it when naming sustained happiness in an elevated voice
The reunion brought her a quiet sense of felicity.
Meaning 2
A quality of expression or choice that is notably apt and pleasing.
Reach for it when praising graceful accuracy in language or execution
Critics admired the felicity of the final translation.
| Meaning 1 | Meaning 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| everyday | ||
| warm | ||
| professional | ||
| formal | ||
| literary |
|
everyday
Fits when the emotional state should sound direct
Careful Happiness lacks felicity's serene elevated tone.
warm
Fits when quiet satisfaction matters more than delight
Careful Contentment can exist without the pleasure carried here.
warm
Fits when strong positive feeling is vivid and immediate
Careful Joy can be sudden rather than settled.
literary
Fits when complete happiness is intended
Careful Bliss is stronger and may sound romantic or spiritual.
professional
Fits when exact wording matters more than charm
Careful Precision alone may produce cold prose.
formal
aptness
Fits when precise suitability is the point
Careful Aptness says little about elegance.
formal
Fits when expressive power deserves praise
Careful Eloquence can be forceful without being exactly suited.
literary
Fits when effortless beauty of expression is central
Careful Grace is broad and can refer to movement or theology.
domestic felicity
The novel closes with a scene of domestic felicity.
sense of felicity
A quiet sense of felicity settled over the reunited friends.
felicity of expression
The essay's felicity of expression makes a complex claim memorable.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Steve Shives, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC0 Updated
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