felicityn.
/fᵻˈlɪsᵻti/, U.S. /fəˈlɪsᵻdi/ 1. in combination.1799 R. Warner Walk Western Counties (1800) 83 Those felicity hunters, the teazing insects of fashion.† b. Phrases: to have, take felicity in or to with infinitive: to take delight or pleasure in or to. to place, set one's felicity in: to find one's chief delight in.
a. The state of being happy; happiness (in modern use with stronger sense, intense happiness, bliss); a particular instance or kind of this.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > pleasure > happiness > [noun]
selthc888
bliss971
eadinessOE
seleOE
eadilaikc1175
blissfulnessc1374
seelinessc1374
felicityc1386
seelihead14..
beneurte1480
brightnessa1500
happinessa1500
glee1579
faustity1656
eudemony1727
a song in one's heart1862
the bluebird of happiness1911
the world > the universe > heavenly body > as influence on mankind > [noun] > nature of > benign
felicityc1386
benignity1661
c1386 G. Chaucer Clerk's Tale 53 We mighten live in more felicitee.
a1550 (c1441) Lament Duchess of Gloucester (Balliol) in T. Wright Polit. Poems & Songs (1861) II. 206 I felle ffrom alle felycyté.
1554 D. Lindsay Dialog Experience & Courteour l. 5093 in Wks. (1931) I Fairweill all vaine felyscitie!
1604 W. Shakespeare Hamlet v. ii. 299 Absent thee from felicity a while. View more context for this quotation
1638 G. Digby in G. Digby & K. Digby Lett. conc. Relig. (1651) 2 I aspire yet to a farr greater felicity.
1722 W. Wollaston Relig. of Nature ix. 217 The injoyment of an humble..expectation of felicity hereafter.
1794 A. Radcliffe Myst. of Udolpho I. i. 4 Conjugal felicity, and parental duties, divided his attention.
1807 Med. & Physical Jrnl. 17 541 Sincerely wishing you every felicity.
1839 H. Hallam Introd. Lit. Europe III. iii. 296 Felicity..consists not in having prospered, but in prospering.
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > physical sensibility > sensuous pleasure > [verb (transitive)] > enter into enjoyment of > enjoy or revel in
savoura1400
delighta1425
fain1483
to have, take felicity in or to1542
forage1593
batten1604
taste1605
to take out1609
to have a gust of1658
1542 N. Udall in H. Ellis Orig. Lett. Eminent Lit. Men (1843) 6 Settying his moste delite and felicitee in the veray infamie of the same.
a1599 E. Spenser View State Ireland 31 in J. Ware Two Hist. Ireland (1633) The..Northerne nations..tooke no felicity in that Country.
1622 R. Hawkins Observ. Voiage South Sea xliii. 103 A man knowne to put his felicitie in that vice.
1691 J. Hartcliffe Treat. Virtues 7 The more polite..sort of Men place their Felicity in Honours.
1758 J. Jortin Life Erasmus I. 175 He took a felicity to set out sundry Commentaries upon the Fathers works.
2. That which causes or promotes happiness; a source of happiness, a blessing.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > pleasure > happiness > [noun] > source of happiness
sunOE
felicityc1385
sunlighta1450
sunshine1589
the world > action or operation > advantage > [noun] > an advantage, benefit, or favourable circumstance > a benefit > that makes happy or prosperous
benedicitea1300
blessing1340
felicityc1385
boon1767
c1385 G. Chaucer Legend Good Women Hypermnestra. 2588 This thought her was felicité.
1490 W. Caxton tr. Eneydos xxvii. 105 O felycyte merueillouse wherof I shulde be well happy.
1597 T. Morley Plaine & Easie Introd. Musicke 182 His coine..is his only hope and felicitie.
1634 W. Tirwhyt tr. J. L. G. de Balzac Lett. 159 The happinesse of your Family..is a publick Felicity.
a1661 T. Fuller Worthies (1662) Bucks. 138 God bestoweth personal felicities on some, far above the proportion of others.
1734 tr. C. Rollin Rom. Hist. (1827) Pref. 27 A woman who formed his felicity.
1874 F. D. Maurice Friendship Bks. viii. 221 He also had many felicities he was thankful for.
3. † b. plural. Prosperous circumstances; successful enterprises; successes.
a. Prosperity; good fortune, success. Now rare.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > prosperity > [noun]
selthc888
healc950
wealOE
goder-heala1225
prosperity?c1225
wealtha1300
statec1300
healtha1325
welfare1357
theedom1362
wealfulnessc1374
bonchiefa1387
felicity1393
boota1400
wella1400
wealsc1400
well-doingc1440
prosperancea1460
happiness?1473
quartfulness1483
brightnessa1500
goodnessa1500
sonsea1500
thriftiness?1529
prosperation1543
well-being1561
prosperousness1600
fair world1641
thrivingness1818
goldenness1829
palminess1875
the world > action or operation > prosperity > [noun] > good fortune
hapc1225
whatec1330
fortune1390
felicity1393
good luck1481
lucka1500
Lady Lucka1535
happiness1540
goodhap1557
faustity1656
serendipity1754
kokum1851
bonanza1878
1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis III. 118 He hath of proprete Good spede and great felicite.
a1513 R. Fabyan New Cronycles Eng. & Fraunce (1516) II. f. clix It is not possyble for that Kyngedome to stande in felycite.
?1520 J. Rastell Nature .iiii. Element sig. B.vijv Ye..haue had grete fylycyte Straunge causes to seke.
1533 J. Bellenden tr. Livy Hist. Rome (1822) ii. 171 The Faderis..faucht with grete felicite aganis the Volschis.
1621 P. Heylyn Microcosmus 292 He was..vanquished by the valour and felicitie of L. Sylla.
1738 D. Neal Hist. Puritans IV. 274 The old Clergy..were intoxicated with their new felicity.
a1780 J. Harris Philol. Inq. (1781) iii. iii. 273 Athens..enjoyed more than all others the general felicity.
1864 T. Carlyle Hist. Friedrich II of Prussia IV. xv. i. 10 This General's strategic felicity and his domestic were fatally cut-down.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > prosperity > [noun] > prosperous conditions
fatnessc1000
milk and honeyOE
plentyc1330
sunshine1584
felicities1625
rose1832
sunlight1864
1625 F. Bacon Ess. (new ed.) 24 Describing, the Afflictions of Iob, then the Felicities of Salomon.
1694 P. Falle Acct. Isle of Jersey i. 29 The Spaniards: Whose aims..were defeated by the Felicities of that Queen.
1706 F. Atterbury Serm. Guild-Hall Chapel in Serm. & Discourses (1766) II. 108 The felicities of her wonderful reign may be complete.
c. A stroke of fortune; a fortunate trait (in an individual).
ΘΚΠ
the world > existence and causation > existence > intrinsicality or inherence > [noun] > a characteristic > good or fortunate characteristic
pointa1425
felicity1757
the world > action or operation > prosperity > [noun] > good fortune > piece of > in an individual
felicity1757
1757 D. Hume Hist. Great Brit. II. 60 The easy subduing this insurrection..was a singular felicity to the protector.
1781 S. Johnson Pope in Pref. Wks. Eng. Poets VII. 13 It was the felicity of Pope to rate himself at his real value.
1861 J. Tulloch Eng. Puritanism ii. 284 It was the felicity of Cromwell to detect this gift of government.
d. Singular fortunateness (of an occurrence). Cf. 4.
ΘΚΠ
the world > existence and causation > causation > chance or causelessness > [noun]
i-wonc1275
casec1300
adventurec1325
hap1340
accidencea1393
casualty1423
chefe1440
fortunityc1470
enchance?a1475
accidentc1485
chance1526
contingencec1530
lottery1570
casuality1574
chanceableness1581
contingency1623
fortuitiona1641
fortuitness1643
accidentalness1648
accidentality1651
fortuitousness1652
causelessnessa1660
temerity1678
fortuitya1747
spontaneity1751
felicity1809
accidentiality1814
1809–10 S. T. Coleridge Friend (1865) 157 By a rare felicity of accident.
4.
a. A happy faculty in art or speech; admirable appropriateness or grace of invention or expression.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > order > agreement, harmony, or congruity > suitability or appropriateness > [noun] > aptness or appositeness
rightness?a1425
aptnessa1538
happiness1550
felicity1605
aptitude1643
patness1653
appositeness1664
apropos1860
society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > elegance > [noun] > decorum or fitness
decoruma1568
felicity1605
keeping1819
1605 F. Bacon Of Aduancem. Learning i. sig. A3 Your Maiesties manner of speech is indeed..full of facilitie, & felicitie . View more context for this quotation
1727 A. Pope et al. Περι Βαθους: Art of Sinking 25 in J. Swift et al. Misc.: Last Vol. Many Painters..have with Felicity copied a Small-Pox.
1833 C. Lamb Pop. Fallacies ix, in Last Ess. Elia 244 We must pronounce [this pun]..a monument of curious felicity.
1873 J. A. Symonds Stud. Greek Poets x. 336 Moschus is remarkable for occasional felicities of language.
1876 J. H. Newman Hist. Sketches I. ii. xii. 295 A style, which adapts itself with singular felicity to every class of subjects.
b. A happy inspiration, an admirably well-chosen expression.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > order > agreement, harmony, or congruity > suitability or appropriateness > [noun] > aptness or appositeness > instance of
felicity1665
rightness1872
society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > elegance > [noun] > fine phrasing > well-turned phrase
lights1550
Atticism1612
aulicism1633
felicity1665
stroke1667
grace stroke1686
curiosa felicitas1752
1665 J. Spencer Disc. Vulgar Prophecies 74 The extempore felicities of the Orators of those times.
1779 S. Johnson Denham in Pref. Wks. Eng. Poets IV. 19 Those felicities which cannot be produced at will by wit and labour.
1870 J. R. Lowell Among my Bks. (1873) 1st Ser. 176 It is from such felicities that the rhetoricians deduce..their statutes.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the universe > planet > position of planet > aspect > [noun] > favourable
felicity1393
1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis III. 116 And upon such felicite Stant Jupiter in his degre.
c1400 ( G. Chaucer Treat. Astrolabe (Cambr. Dd.3.53) (1872) ii. §4. 18 Thei haue a fortunat planete in hir assendent & ȝit in his felicite.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1895; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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