Content: Satisfied, and What Is Inside
Content means satisfied when stressed on the second syllable, and what something holds when stressed on the first. The internet gave the second sense a whole new life.
Content is two words separated by stress. CON-tent is what is inside — the contents of a box, the content of a course. Con-TENT means quietly satisfied. The internet took the first sense and made it mean almost anything published.
- What something holds (CON-tent). *The salt content is high.*
- Published material. *A content strategy.*
- Satisfied (con-TENT). *He seemed content with the answer.*
- To satisfy (verb). *She contented herself with a nod.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | content | Water content. |
| Plural | contents | The contents page. |
| Adjective | content | Perfectly content. |
| Noun | contentment | A quiet contentment. |
| Adjective | contented | A contented cat. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Check the sugar content on the label.Uncountable, stressed on the first syllable.
- The contents were damaged in transit.Plural for physical items in a container.
- He was content to wait.The adjective, stressed on the second syllable.
Content, contents and contented
- Content (uncountable) — the substance of something: *the content of the speech*
- Contents (plural) — the items inside: *the contents of the drawer*
- Content (adjective) — satisfied, used after a verb: *she is content*
- Contented — satisfied, and used before a noun: *a contented sigh*
- You would not write *a content cat*, though *the cat is content* is fine
Both words come from Latin *continere*, to hold together — the satisfied sense from the idea of being held within limits and wanting nothing beyond them. Contentment is, etymologically, a form of containment.
Content or contents?
Contents for countable items in a container. Content for abstract substance, and for published material.
Content or contented?
Content follows a verb; contented can go before a noun. Both mean satisfied.