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FELICITY
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I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Pleasing and appropriate manner or style (especially manner or style of expression)
Synonyms:
felicitousness; felicity
Classified under:
Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects
Hypernyms ("felicity" is a kind of...):
appropriateness (the quality of being specially suitable)
Attribute:
felicitous (exhibiting an agreeably appropriate manner or style)
infelicitous (not appropriate in application; defective)
Antonym:
infelicity (inappropriate and unpleasing manner or style (especially manner or style of expression))
Derivation:
felicitate (express congratulations)
felicitous (exhibiting an agreeably appropriate manner or style)
Sense 2
Meaning:
State of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy
Synonyms:
felicity; happiness
Classified under:
Nouns denoting stable states of affairs
Hypernyms ("felicity" is a kind of...):
emotional state; spirit (the state of a person's emotions (especially with regard to pleasure or dejection))
Attribute:
happy (enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure)
unhappy (experiencing or marked by or causing sadness or sorrow or discontent)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "felicity"):
beatification; beatitude; blessedness (a state of supreme happiness)
radiance (an attractive combination of good health and happiness)
Derivation:
felicitous (marked by good fortune)
Context examples:
"Is there a felicity in the world," said Marianne, "superior to this? Margaret, we will walk here at least two hours."
(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)
In chatting with Miss Tilney before the evening concluded, a new source of felicity arose to her.
(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)
He has chosen his partner, indeed, with rare felicity.
(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)
Oh, my dear, dear aunt, she rapturously cried, what delight! what felicity!
(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)
Her spring of felicity was in the glow of her spirits, as her friend Anne's was in the warmth of her heart.
(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)
But it was decreed by fortune, my perpetual enemy, that so great a felicity should not fall to my share.
(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)
Not that Emma was gay and thoughtless from any real felicity; it was rather because she felt less happy than she had expected.
(Emma, by Jane Austen)
I shall not lose you so soon, and Edward will have greater opportunity of improving that natural taste for your favourite pursuit which must be so indispensably necessary to your future felicity.
(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)
The letter, whence sprang all this felicity, was short, containing little more than this assurance of success; and every particular was deferred till James could write again.
(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)
To see the expression of her eyes, the change of her complexion, the progress of her feelings, their doubt, confusion, and felicity, was enough.
(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)
