Logo
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

avarice

noun
av·​a·​rice | \ ˈa-və-rəs How to pronounce avarice (audio) , ˈav-rəs\

Definition of avarice

: excessive or insatiable desire for wealth or gain : greediness, cupidity
Synonyms Word History of Avarice Example Sentences Learn More about avarice

Keep scrolling for more

Word History of Avarice

A more formal synonym for greed, avarice has a long if uncomplicated history in English. Chaucer in his 14th-century The Parson's Tale compared avarice with covetise, a now obsolete word that means "covetousness" ("Covetise is to covet such things as thou hast not; and avarice is to withhold and keep such things as thou hast, without rightful need"—743), and Shakespeare uses it in Macbeth ("With this there grows / In my most ill-composed affection such / A stanchless avarice that, were I king, / I should cut off the nobles for their lands, / Desire his jewels and this other's house: / And my more-having would be as a sauce / To make me hunger more"—IV.iii.76-82).

Avarice has also appeared in various translations of the Bible, usually in verses that describe the attributes of those who do not follow God, and has historically been listed as one of the seven deadly sins.

Examples of avarice in a Sentence

Adherence to the Baldwin model is usually more a sin of thoughtlessness and convenience than of conscious avarice, though it is always an appropriation of moral power, a stealing of thunder. — Shelby Steele, Harper's, November 2002 … a company of artists, among them the young Thomas Nast, seated at rows of desks in a high-ceilinged studio overlooking the avarice and deviltry walking in and out of New York's City Hall. — Lewis H. Lapham, Harper's, June 2000 Unlike the rest of us, stuck in our jobs, choking on carbon monoxide, heeling around on overpriced shoes, recovering from a decade of avarice, Chip works and he's tanned and happy. — Peter Wilkinson, Rolling Stone, 11-25 July 1991 Nor was private avarice their besetting sin although they were as subject as most men to the stings of ambition. — Barbara W. Tuchman, The March of Folly, 1984 The corporate world is plagued by avarice and a thirst for power. He was driven by avarice.
See More

Recent Examples on the Web

 Much of that corruption has been driven by the common temptations of avarice and power. — James M. Banner Jr., Time, "Corruption, Cover-Ups and the Shocking Presidential History to Remember as Robert Mueller Testifies," 22 July 2019 Driven by arrogance, ignorance, or avarice, bad judgment abounds and blame must fall on all Everest participants—the climbers, the guiding companies, and the Nepalese government. — Mark Jenkins, Outside Online, "How to Fix Everest," 20 June 2019 Jews were labeled materialistic and corrupt centuries before the Catholic Church began to worry about usury, or even about the sin of avarice. — Sara Lipton, The New York Review of Books, "A Terribly Durable Myth," 17 June 2019 The story was told on Twitter in real time, analyzed at length by bloggers and journalists as a symbol of class stratification and American avarice, and then pulled apart by competing Netflix and Hulu documentaries this January. — Kaitlyn Tiffany, Vox, "Why are so many music festivals total disasters?," 11 June 2019 Riches, poverty, piratical avarice, life as a beach. — Horatio Clare, Condé Nast Traveler, "Why You Should Go to Belize Now," 21 Dec. 2018 While the Catholic Church labeled envy, pride and avarice cardinal sins, for Mandeville these vices had public benefits. — Stephen Miller, WSJ, "Economic Liberty Turns Vice Into Virtue," 14 Nov. 2018 The history of the Diamond-Treasure reflects the history of the Romanovs during the first two centuries, with their exceeding lavishness in some cases, and their extreme avarice [in] others. — Stellene Volandes, Town & Country, "Inside the Enduring Mystery of What Happened to Russia's Imperial Jewelry," 1 Nov. 2018 Ben Esposito Donut County is a game about how ignorance and avarice swallow everything in their path. — Laura Hudson, The Verge, "Donut County is a game about swallowing Los Angeles and realizing you’re an asshole," 1 Sep. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'avarice.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

See More

First Known Use of avarice

13th century, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for avarice

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin avaritia, from avarus avaricious, from avēre to crave — more at avid

Keep scrolling for more

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for avarice

avarice

noun
How to pronounce avarice (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of avarice

formal + disapproving : a strong desire to have or get money

See the full definition for avarice in the English Language Learners Dictionary

avarice

noun
av·​a·​rice | \ ˈa-və-rəs How to pronounce avarice (audio) , ˈav-rəs\

Kids Definition of avarice

: strong desire for riches : greed

Keep scrolling for more

WORD OF THE DAY

cataract

play

See Definitions and Examples

Get Word of the Day daily email!