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Added 8 October 2026

delectation

/ˌdiːlɛkˈteɪʃən/ noun

Latin root: dēlectātiōnem Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about delectation at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A feeling of extreme pleasure or satisfaction.
his delight to see her was obvious to all
Act of receiving pleasure from something.

Origin

Attested from the mid 14th century, from Old French delectation (“enjoyment”), from Latin dēlectātiōnem, accusative singular of dēlectātiō, from the verb Latin dēlectō (“to delight, charm, please”), frequentative of dēliciō, from de- (“away”) + laciō (“to lure, to deceive”), from Proto-Italic *lakjō (“to draw, pull”), of unknown ultimate origin. By surface analysis, delect + -ation or delectate + -ion. Related to delight and delicious.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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