content
Pluralcontents (some meanings)
Pluralcontents (some meanings)
Formscontents, contenting, contented
- 1Videos, posts, articles and similar things made to share with an audience, especially online, or things that could become them.
Like all the shows and videos you can watch online.
The streaming service added new content this month.
She makes content about cooking for her channel.
UsageSay upload content or new content, with no a.
Note
- 2The information, ideas, or material found in a book, video, or other work.
Like the filling inside a sandwich: it's the part that really matters.
The video had great content but poor sound.
I skipped ahead to the part with the real content.
UsageSay the content of a book.
Similarsubstance, material, matter, information (entry)
Note
- 3What is held inside a box, bottle, or container.
Like everything you find when you open a gift box.
She dumped the contents of her bag onto the kitchen table.
He emptied the contents of his pockets onto the kitchen table.
UsageSay the contents of the box.
Similarcontents
- 4kuhn-TENT/kənˈtɛnt/Happy with what you have and not wanting anything more.
Like a cat curled up in the sun, happy right where it is.
She felt content after a long, lazy afternoon.
He was content to stay home and read.
UsageSay content with what you have, or content to stay home.
Similarsatisfied, happy, pleased, fulfilled, comfortable
Oppositedissatisfied, discontented, unhappy, restless
Note
- 5How much of a certain substance is inside a food, drink, or material.
Like how much juice is really inside a carton.
This snack has a high sugar content.
Doctors checked the salt content of his diet.
UsageSay high sugar content.
Similarlevel, proportion, amount, concentration, percentage
Note
Less common meanings
- 6To make someone feel happy and satisfied.
Like giving a hungry dog a bowl of food: it settles right down.
A good book and a quiet evening are enough to content my grandfather.
Her teacher's answer contented her, and she stopped asking questions.
UsageSay content yourself with less.
Similarplease, satisfy, gratify, delight, cheer
Oppositedisplease, dissatisfy
Note
- 7kuhn-TENT/kənˈtɛnt/A calm, happy feeling of being satisfied, or what gives you that feeling.
Like the warm, sleepy feeling after a good meal.
The kids splashed in the pool to their heart's content.
She watched the waves in quiet content.
UsageSay to your heart's content, meaning as much as you want.
Similarsatisfaction, happiness, ease, fulfillment
Oppositediscontent, dissatisfaction, unhappiness
Note
- 8Used long ago to say 'fine' or 'agreed.'
Note
- 9kuhn-TENT/kənˈtɛnt/Agreement to something without checking it first.
The sense they humbly take upon content.
1711, [Alexander Pope], An Essay on CriticismHere, upon content means accepting without checking or questioning.Note
- 10To pay someone or give them what they expected.
Come the next Sabbath, and I will content you.
c. 1593, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third:”Here, content means pay or give you what you are owed.Note
- 11Held inside something else.
Note
- 12The amount that something is able to hold.
Strong ships, of great content.
1627, Francis [Bacon], “New Atlantis. A Worke Vnfinished.”Here, content means how much something can hold, so the ships held a lot.Note
- 13A measure of how much space a shape fills: its length, area, or volume.
- 14The largest number that divides evenly into all the numbers in front of a polynomial's terms.
- 15In the House of Lords, a 'yes' vote, or a member who votes yes.
Showing meanings only.
Practice
Can you tell the meanings of content apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.
Origins
From Latin contentus meaning 'contained; satisfied', the past participle of continēre 'to contain'. It came into English through Middle English contenten 'to satisfy'.
Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 3 facts
- English content derives from Latin contentus, meaning ‘contained; satisfied’. en.wiktionary.org
- Contentus is the past participle of continēre, meaning ‘to contain’. en.wiktionary.org
- English content came through Middle English contenten, meaning ‘to satisfy’. en.wiktionary.org
It comes from Latin contentus, the past participle of the verb continēre, which meant "to hold in, contain." The adjective content comes from the same word. English seems to have turned the adjective into a noun.
Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 5 facts
- The noun content derives from Latin contentus. en.wiktionary.org
- Latin contentus is the past participle of continēre. en.wiktionary.org
- Latin continēre meant “to hold in, contain.” en.wiktionary.org
- The adjective content also derives from Latin contentus. en.wiktionary.org
- English apparently formed the noun from the adjective. en.wiktionary.org