happiness

noun

hap·​pi·​ness ˈha-pē-nəs How to pronounce happiness (audio)
1
a
: a state of well-being and contentment : joy
b
: a pleasurable or satisfying experience
I wish you every happiness in life.
I had the happiness of seeing youW. S. Gilbert
2
: felicity, aptness
a striking happiness of expression
3
obsolete : good fortune : prosperity
all happiness bechance to theeWilliam Shakespeare

Examples of happiness in a Sentence

They made a toast to long life and happiness. her happiness was complete when she got her very own house
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Stephanie Harrison is the founder of The New Happy, an organization advancing a new philosophy of happiness. Stephanie Harrison, Contributor, CNBC, 15 Mar. 2025 For much of her youth, Natalie, 38, of New York, wasn't sure what happiness looked like for her. Mark Davis, Newsweek, 15 Mar. 2025 Burt and Irving’s apparent farewell conversation touches on one of the rare benefits of severance, where a fundamentally bad person like Burt was able to let an innocent part of himself enjoy a brief period of unburdened happiness. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 14 Mar. 2025 With this in mind, WalletHub analysts examined each city based on 29 key indicators of happiness across the following three dimensions: emotional and physical well-being; income and employment; and community and environment. Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for happiness

Word History

Etymology

see happy

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of happiness was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Happiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/happiness. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

happiness

noun
hap·​pi·​ness ˈhap-i-nəs How to pronounce happiness (audio)
: a state of well-being and contentment : joy

More from Merriam-Webster on happiness

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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