gratification
noun/ˌɡɹætɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/
Etymology From Latin grātificātiō either directly or through Middle French gratification, from Latin grātificō (“to do a favor to, oblige, please, gratify”), from grātus (“kind, pleasing”) + faciō (“to make”).
1
The act of gratifying or pleasing, either the mind, or the appetite or taste.
- gratification of the heart gratification of the palate
- I know nothing of Mr. Courtenaye; but I can perceive enough of this affair to see that he is one of those who, for a moment's selfish gratification, or for the yet meaner love of gratified vanity, will excite the deepest feelings, and trifle with the dearest hopes of all who trust them!1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, pages 295–296:
1 more example
- Many of the so-called rites of these secret societies were so patently ridiculous, that it is quite obvious that they were merely an excuse for men and women to indulge in sex-play and lustful gratification, frequently of an abnormal kind.1936, Rollo Ahmed, The Black Art, London: Long, page 161:
2
A gratuity; a reward.
3
A feeling of pleasure; satisfaction.
- I will tell you all my faults frankly beforehand. I am very vain, for I cultivate my vanity on a principle, and cannot understand why we should neglect such a source of gratification.1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “Confidence”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 102:
- To my gratification he told me I could reënter the institution, and that he would trust me to pay the debt when I could.1900, Booker T[aliaferro] Washington, “Helping Others”, in Up from Slavery: An Autobiography, New York, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Co., published 1901, →OCLC, page 66:
- Derived terms
- oral gratification, self-gratification
- Related terms
- gratify