felicity

Pronunciation

IPA Phonetic Spelling for "felicity" (General American):

fəˈlɪsəti (four syllables)

• fe (fə):

• f - voiceless labiodental fricative (similar to the "f" in "fish")

• ə - schwa (a central vowel sound)

• li (lɪ):

• l - voiced alveolar lateral approximant (the sound of "l" in "like")

• ɪ - near-close near-front unrounded vowel (similar to the "i" in "bit")

• ci (sɪ):

• s - voiceless alveolar fricative (similar to the "s" in "sip")

• ɪ - near-close near-front unrounded vowel (similar to the "i" in "bit")

• ty (ti):

• t - voiceless alveolar plosive (similar to the "t" in "stop")

• i - close front unrounded vowel (like the "ee" in "see")

Word Form Variations

The word "felicity" has two main word form variations:

• Singular: felicity (This is the base form you'd use most often)

• Plural: felicities (This is used when referring to multiple instances of happiness, good fortune, or skillful expression)

Definitions, Synonyms, Antonyms

Noun:

• Definition 1: A state of great happiness or bliss. (Synonyms: joy, jubilation, euphoria, contentment. Antonyms: sadness, despair, misery, grief)

• Example: "They found felicity in the simple pleasures of spending time with family."

• Definition 2: An instance of happiness or good fortune. (Synonyms: blessing, windfall, lucky break. Antonyms: misfortune, hardship, setback)

• Example: "Winning the lottery was an unexpected felicity."

• Definition 3 (Less common): A skillful or pleasing way of expressing oneself, especially in writing or speaking. (Synonyms: eloquence, fluency, elegance, finesse. Antonyms: awkwardness, clumsiness, inarticulateness)

• Example: "The author's felicity with language made the story come alive."

(Felicity does not have verb, adjective, or adverb forms)

Examples of Use

Literature:

• "Elizabeth assured her that a felicity unknown to her former state of wealth and rank awaited her in the humble but secure life she was about to lead." (Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice)

Newspapers:

• "Despite the challenges, many refugees find a sense of felicity in building new lives." (The New York Times)

Online Publications:

• "The couple documented their journey to felicity through their popular travel blog." (Blog post title)

Entertainment:

• "The film explored the protagonist's search for felicity after a personal tragedy." (Movie review)

• "The game offered a variety of paths to achieve felicity in your virtual kingdom." (Video game review)

Public Discourse:

• "In his commencement speech, the speaker emphasized the importance of finding felicity in the simple things." (News report on a graduation ceremony)

• "Social media trends often focus on portraying a perfect life, but true felicity comes from within." (Social media post)

10 Famous Quotes Using the term Felicity

While there aren't ten famous quotes specifically using "felicity," here are some quotes about happiness, good fortune, or skillful expression that capture the essence of the word:

1. "Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm and moderation." - Thomas Merton (philosopher)

2. "The greatest happiness you can have is knowing that you are loved for who you are, or rather, in spite of who you are." - Victor Hugo (author)

3. "Fortune favors the brave." - Virgil (Roman poet)

4. "The only true wealth is life. Everything else is just stuff." - Jack Kerouac (writer)

5. "The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well." - Ralph Waldo Emerson (philosopher)

6. "The art of being happy lies in the power of extracting happiness from common things." - Henry Ward Beecher (clergyman)

7. "You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger." - Buddha (spiritual teacher)

8. "The things that bring us joy are often the things we wouldn't choose at first." - G.K. Chesterton (writer)

9. "The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing." - Socrates (Greek philosopher)

10. "The superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions." - Confucius (Chinese philosopher)

Etymology

The word "felicity" is like a family tree with Latin as its root. The story goes like this:

• Great-great-grandparent: A super old Proto-Indo-European word (think way back in history!) with the root "*dʰeh₁(y)-" which meant "to nurse" or "to suckle."

• Great-grandparent: A Latin word "felix" which meant "happy," "blessed," or even "lucky." It's like someone who feels happy because they've been well cared for!

• Grandparent: Another Latin word, "felicitas," which built on "felix" but added the "-tas" part, which means "state of being." So, "felicitas" meant "the state of being happy" or "good fortune."

• Parent: "Félicité" in Old French. This is where English borrows the word from around the 14th century. It basically means the same thing as the Latin grandparent word.

• Our word: Finally, we have "felicity" in English! It keeps the same meaning of happiness, good fortune, or sometimes even skillful expression.

So, "felicity" comes from a long line of words connected to feeling happy and fortunate, kind of like inheriting a positive family trait!

Phrases + Idioms Containing the term Felicity

• While there aren't a vast number of common idioms directly using "felicity," here are some phrases that incorporate the word and its meaning:

  • Congratulatory phrases:

  • "I wish you felicity in all your endeavors." (Formal way of wishing someone success and happiness)

  • "May you find felicity in your new home." (Expressing hope for happiness in a new situation)

  • Phrases describing happiness or good fortune:

  • "They lived a life of felicity." (Describing a life filled with happiness)

  • "The discovery was a stroke of felicity." (Describing a lucky or fortunate event)

  • Phrases describing skillful expression (less common):

  • "The author's felicity with language captivated the audience." (Describes exceptional writing or speaking skills)

  • "He delivered the speech with great felicity." (Describes someone expressing themselves skillfully)

  Additionally, here are some idioms that capture the essence of "felicity":

  • Live happily ever after

  • On cloud nine

  • Over the moon

  • Serendipity (finding something good by chance)

  • Fortunate son/daughter

Posts Related to Felicity

Source Information

Definition of felicity from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.