ENGLISH
REFERENCE

content

n. · adj. · v.
US //ˈkɑntɛnt// con·tent
  1. 1 information or media (n.)
    B1 Intermediate Computing

    the ideas, stories, or information in a book, video, or website.

    the substantive information or creative material contained within a medium, such as writing, speech, or digital platforms.

    Example

    The website has great content, but the design is a bit old-fashioned.

    Example

    Digital marketers are increasingly focused on high-quality video content to improve user engagement across social media platforms.
  2. 2 things inside (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    the things that are inside a container, room, or book.

    the physical or abstract items contained within a specific space or vessel; often used in the plural.

    Example

    He emptied the contents of his bag onto the table to find his keys.

    Example

    The customs officer requested that the traveller disclose the full contents of the wooden crate before it could be cleared for transport.
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  1. 3 amount of a substance (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Technical Science

    the amount of a particular substance inside something else.

    the proportion or quantity of a specific component within a mixture or substance.

    Example

    This orange juice has a very high sugar content.

    Example

    The laboratory analysis revealed that the soil sample had an unusually high moisture content, which explained the recent structural shifts in the foundation.
  2. 4 satisfied (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    happy and satisfied with what you have.

    feeling or manifesting satisfaction with one's circumstances; not desiring more.

    Example

    She was content to stay at home and read a book while it rained.

    Example

    After years of travelling for work, he felt perfectly content living a quiet life in a small coastal village.

    Usage

    Usually follows a linking verb like 'be' or 'feel'.

    Teacher's tip

    Note the pronunciation shift: the adjective has the stress on the second syllable (con-TENT), while the noun has it on the first (CON-tent).
  3. 5 to satisfy (v.)
    C1 Advanced Formal

    to make yourself or someone else feel satisfied with a situation.

    to satisfy or appease someone; frequently used reflexively to indicate accepting a situation.

    Example

    Since there was no cake left, he had to content himself with a biscuit.

    Example

    The board had to content themselves with a modest increase in profits, given the volatility of the global market that year.

    Usage

    Often used reflexively as 'to content oneself with'.
  4. 6 mathematical space (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Math

    the total amount of space inside a shape with many sides.

    the n-dimensional volume or measure of a polytope or similar geometric figure.

    Example

    The professor explained how to calculate the content of a four-dimensional shape.

    Example

    In higher-dimensional geometry, the term content is used as a generalisation of length, area, and volume for n-dimensional objects.
Etymology 1

From Middle English contenten (“to satisfy”), from Latin contentus (“contained; satisfied”), past participle of continēre (“to contain”).

Etymology 2

From Middle English content (plural contentes, contence), from Latin contentus, past participle of continēre (“to hold in, contain”), as Etymology 1, above. English apparently developed a substantive form of the adjective, which is not mirrored in Romance languages.

Word family
Idioms1 entry

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