[f. ppl. stem of L. fēlīcitāre to make happy, f. fēlīci-, fēlix happy.]
1. trans. To render or make happy; also absol. Now rare; see FELICITATED ppl. a.
1638. Wither, Brit. Rememb., III. 261.
| Yet, of themselves, nor paines, nor pleasures can | |
| Felicitate. |
1668. Dryden, Evening’s Love, V. i. Since I cannot make myself happy, I will have the glory to felicitate another.
1741. Watts, Improv. Mind, I. xvii. 254. A glorious Entertainment and pleasure would fill and felicitate his Spirit, if he could grasp all these in a single survey.
1792. A. Bell, in Southey’s Life (1844), I. 436. Your occupations … have a tendency to … felicitate our days.
1825. T. Barber, Serm. Import. Relig. Nat. Educ., 40. It settles, composes, and felicitates the soul.
1856. J. Macnaught, Doctr. Inspiration (1857), 193. It has felicitated the death of all who have learned in it to talk with God.
† b. To render prosperous. Obs.
1634. Sir T. Herbert, Trav. (1638), 92. A citty in Bengala and felicitated by Ganges.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., VI. vii. 307. The Sunne’s … influence is conceived … to felicitate India more then any after.
2. To reckon or pronounce happy or fortunate; to congratulate. Now only with obj. a person. Const. on, upon.
1634. Sir T. Herbert, Trav. (1838), 182. A glorious miser felicitating his death, so it be in contemplation of his rich idolatry.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., IV. ix. 201. Speeches, felicitating the good, or deprecating the evil to follow.
1715. Wodrow Corr. (1843), II. 77. This comes to felicitate you upon your wife’s safe delivery.
1812. D’Israeli, Calam. Auth. (1867), 215. A great poet felicitated himself that poetry was not the business of his life.
1853. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., III. 645. The enemies of France … eagerly felicitated one another.
1873. Symonds, Grk. Poets, vi. 175. The victor might be felicitated on his good fortune—on the piece of luck which had befallen him; and if he were of comely person or illustrious blood, these also offered topics for congratulation.
† 3. a. trans. To offer congratulations on (something). b. intr. To join in congratulations with.
1684. J. Peter, Siege Vienna, 104. Of other Princes and Noblemen, there were great numbers that came to felicitate his Majesties happy return to Vienna, and to kiss his Hand.
1799. Nelson, in Nicolas, Disp., III. 447. I felicitate with you on the happy success of the allied Arms.
Hence Felicitated ppl a., Felicitating ppl. a.
1755. T. Amory, Mem. (1769), I. 280. It [the gospel] commands us to acquire a felicitating temper, and to communicate happiness adequate to our power; to live as if we were animated with one common spirit, one soul of love, and so far as it falls within our sphere of action, to promote, guard, and secure the happiness of all.
1772. Johnson, 27 March, in Boswell. The happiness of an unembodied spirit will consist … in the possession of felicitating ideas.
1806. A. Knox, Rem., I. 21. It is to be lamented, that too many writers, who imagined themselves the truest church-of-England men, have almost entirely overlooked this felicitating influence of our divine religion.
1890. trans. Pfleiderer’s Developm. Theology, II. ii. 118. A life of invigorated and felicitated God-consciousness.
