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satisfy

UK[ˈsætɪsfaɪ]US[ˈsætɪsfaɪ]
v

to make someone pleased by doing or giving them what they want

v

to provide what is needed, wanted, or asked for

v

to be good enough for a particular purpose, standard, or rule

Morpheme Breakdown

satis
fy
satis

enough

fy

to make

Etymology

the word 'satisfy' entered english in the 15th century from old french 'satisfier', which itself was built from latin components. the latin root 'satis', meaning 'enough', is of proto-indo-european origin, related to concepts of fullness and sufficiency. this combines with '-ficare', from 'facere' (to make or do), to form the late latin verb 'satisfacere', meaning 'to do enough, to make amends, or to content'. the core logic of the word has remained remarkably consistent: it literally means 'to make enough', which evolved into the modern senses of fulfilling a need, meeting a standard, or gratifying a desire.

Analysis

Structure: satis (enough) + fy (to make) satis (from latin 'satis', meaning 'enough, sufficient'); fy (from latin '-ficare', a combining form of 'facere' meaning 'to make, to do')

Examples

the company's apology did little to satisfy the angry customers.

a light snack was enough to satisfy his hunger until dinner.

to satisfy the entry requirements, you must have a valid passport.

satisfy – Meaning, Etymology & Word Origin | OpenEtymology