enjoyment
UK[ɪnˈdʒɔɪmənt]US[ɪnˈdʒɔɪmənt]
n
The state or experience of getting pleasure from something.
n
Something that gives pleasure.
Morpheme Breakdown
enjoy
ment
enjoy
to give joy, rejoice
ment
Etymology
The word "enjoyment" is a layered construction, entering English from the Anglo-Norman 'enjoiement'. Its core, "enjoy", originates from the Old French 'enjoier', itself derived from the Latin prefix 'in-' (meaning "in") combined with a Late Latin verb based on 'gaudium' ("joy"). The suffix "-ment" is a Latin noun-forming instrument ('-mentum') that passed into English through Old French, consistently used to denote a state or result. Thus, the literal "state of being in joy" evolved seamlessly into the modern abstract noun for the experience or source of pleasure.
Analysis
Structure: enjoy + ment
- enjoy: From Old French 'enjoier', meaning "to give joy, rejoice". In this word, it functions as the verb root conveying the action of taking pleasure.
- ment: From Latin '-mentum', via Old French '-ment', a suffix used to form nouns expressing the action, result, or means of an action.
Examples
She gets a lot of enjoyment from reading historical novels.
The simple enjoyment of a walk in the park should not be underestimated.
His music has brought enjoyment to millions of people around the world.