Meanings
nounavarice (usually uncountable, plural avarices)
plural avarices
- uncountableusuallyExcessive or inordinate desire of gain; greed for wealth
By multiplying the means of gratification, by promoting the introduction and circulation of the precious metals, those darling objects of human avarice and enterprise, it serves to vivify and invigorate the channels of industry, and to make them flow with greater activity and copiousness.
1788, Publius [pseudonym; Alexander Hamilton], “Number XII”, in The Federalist: A Collection of Essays, Written in Favour of the New Constitution, […] , volume I, New York, N.Y.: […] J. and A. M‘Lean, […], →OCLCSynonyms: covetousness, cupidity
- uncountableusuallyInordinate desire for some supposed good.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounExcessive or inordinate desire of gain; greed for wealth
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More synonyms by meaning
nounreprehensible acquisitiveness; insatiable desire for wealth (personified as one of the deadly sins)
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Broader
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂ew-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂ew-eh₁yeti
- Latinaveō
- Latinavārus
- Latinavāritia
- Old Frenchavarice
- Middle Englishavarice
- Englishavarice
From Middle English avarice, from Old French, from Latin avāritia, from avārus (“greedy”).
More words from Middle English, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek πλεονεξία
- πλεονεξία (pleonexía)excessive or inordinate desire of gain
Arabic طَمَع, شُحُّ
- طَمَع (ṭamaʕ)excessive or inordinate desire of gain
- شُحُّ (šuḥḥu)excessive or inordinate desire of gain
Bulgarian користолю́бие, лакоми́я
- користолю́бие (koristoljúbie)excessive or inordinate desire of gain
- лакоми́я (lakomíja)inordinate desire for some supposed good
- ненаси́тност (nenasítnost)inordinate desire for some supposed good
Catalan avarícia, cobdícia
- avaríciaexcessive or inordinate desire of gain
- cobdíciaexcessive or inordinate desire of gain
- avaríciainordinate desire for some supposed good
- cobdíciainordinate desire for some supposed good
- avidesainordinate desire for some supposed good
Chinese Mandarin 貪婪 /贪婪, 貪心 /贪心
- 貪婪 /贪婪 (tānlán)excessive or inordinate desire of gain
- 貪心 /贪心 (tānxīn)excessive or inordinate desire of gain
- 貪財 /贪财 (tāncái)excessive or inordinate desire of gain
- 貪財 /贪财 (tāncái)inordinate desire for some supposed good
- 贪求 (tānqiú)inordinate desire for some supposed good
Czech chamtivost, lakomství
- chamtivostexcessive or inordinate desire of gain
- lakomstvíexcessive or inordinate desire of gain
- hrabivostexcessive or inordinate desire of gain
Dutch hebberigheid, hebzucht
- hebberigheidexcessive or inordinate desire of gain
- hebzuchtexcessive or inordinate desire of gain
- inhaligheidexcessive or inordinate desire of gain
Esperanto avaro
- avaroexcessive or inordinate desire of gain
Estonian ahnus, saamahimu
- ahnusexcessive or inordinate desire of gain
- saamahimuexcessive or inordinate desire of gain
Finnish ahneus, rahanhimo
- ahneusexcessive or inordinate desire of gain
- rahanhimoexcessive or inordinate desire of gain
- ahneusinordinate desire for some supposed good
- himoinordinate desire for some supposed good
French avarice
- avariceexcessive or inordinate desire of gain
German Gier
- Gierexcessive or inordinate desire of gain
Greek πλεονεξία
- πλεονεξία (pleonexía)excessive or inordinate desire of gain
Hindi लालच, लोभ
- लालच (lālac)excessive or inordinate desire of gain
- लोभ (lobh)excessive or inordinate desire of gain
Irish saint, cíocras
- saintexcessive or inordinate desire of gain
- cíocrasexcessive or inordinate desire of gain
- gabhálachtexcessive or inordinate desire of gain
Italian avarizia, cupidigia
- avariziaexcessive or inordinate desire of gain
- cupidigiaexcessive or inordinate desire of gain
- aviditàinordinate desire for some supposed good
Japanese 強欲
- 強欲 (gōyoku)excessive or inordinate desire of gain
Korean 탐욕
- 탐욕 (tamyok)excessive or inordinate desire of gain
Latin avāritia, avāritiēs
- avāritiaexcessive or inordinate desire of gain
- avāritiēsexcessive or inordinate desire of gain
Persian زیادهخواهی, طمع
- زیادهخواهی (ziâde-xâhi)excessive or inordinate desire of gain
- طمع (tama')excessive or inordinate desire of gain
- الچخت (alčaxt)excessive or inordinate desire of gain
Polish chciwość, chciwość
- chciwośćexcessive or inordinate desire of gain
- chciwośćinordinate desire for some supposed good
Portuguese avarícia, avareza
- avaríciaexcessive or inordinate desire of gain
- avarezaexcessive or inordinate desire of gain
- avarezainordinate desire for some supposed good
Romanian avariție, aviditate
- avarițieexcessive or inordinate desire of gain
- aviditateinordinate desire for some supposed good
Russian а́лчность, жа́дность
- а́лчность (álčnostʹ)excessive or inordinate desire of gain
- жа́дность (žádnostʹ)excessive or inordinate desire of gain
- ску́пость (skúpostʹ)excessive or inordinate desire of gain
- ненасы́тность (nenasýtnostʹ)inordinate desire for some supposed good
- прожо́рливость (prožórlivostʹ)inordinate desire for some supposed good
Scottish Gaelic sannt
- sanntexcessive or inordinate desire of gain
Slovak lakomstvo
- lakomstvoexcessive or inordinate desire of gain
Spanish avaricia, codicia
- avariciaexcessive or inordinate desire of gain
- codiciaexcessive or inordinate desire of gain
Swedish girighet
- girighetexcessive or inordinate desire of gain
Turkish açgözlülük, para hırsı
- açgözlülükexcessive or inordinate desire of gain
- para hırsıinordinate desire for some supposed good
- servet tutkusuinordinate desire for some supposed good
Cite this entry
APA
avarice. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/avarice
MLA
“avarice.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/avarice. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “avarice,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/avarice.
Source: avarice on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.