English

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Etymology 1

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From content (subject matter) +‎ -ful.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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contentful (comparative more contentful, superlative most contentful)

  1. Having content.
    • 1988, Richard K. Larson, On the Double Object Construction:
      In answer to this question I want to propose that to is in fact always contentful—that it is never mere Case marking, strictly speaking—but that in certain contexts (namely, in V's headed by Dative-Shifting verbs) its grammatical contribution effectively "reduces" to Case marking and therefore can be suppressed under Passive.
    • 2007 October 25, Robert Hanna, “Kantian non-conceptualism”, in Philosophical Studies, volume 137, number 1, →DOI:
      Indeed, it seems to me that the special character of non-conceptually contentful perceptual states entails that all perceptual states contain non-conceptual content in this essentially distinct sense [] .
    • 2011, Steven Hales, What Philosophy Can Tell You about Your Dog, Open Court, →ISBN, page 214:
      Can one have contentful but non-conceptual thought? My guess is that we can and I take it that my guess is buttressed by our ordinary practice of talking about the behaviour of animals and pre-linguistic children.

Etymology 2

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From content (contentment) +‎ -ful.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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contentful (comparative more contentful, superlative most contentful)

  1. (obsolete) Full of contentment.
    • a. 1678 (date written), Isaac Barrow, “(please specify the chapter name or sermon number). Of a Peaceable Temper”, in The Works of Dr. Isaac Barrow. [], volumes (please specify |volume=I to VII), London: A[braham] J[ohn] Valpy, [], published 1830–1831, →OCLC:
      How contentful the whole life is of him, that neither deviseth mischief against others, nor suspects any to be contrived against himself.
    • 1938, Norman Lindsay, Age of Consent, 1st Australian edition, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1962, →OCLC, page 63:
      With the setting sun sending long shadows loping ahead of them over the smooth hillocks of the downs, they came up with the lagoon; a contentful return home, with appetite brisked up by a ten-mile walk, and plenty of food to satisfy it.
Derived terms
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