What does appetence mean?
Appetence is a rare noun denoting a natural craving or strong inward desire, whether for food or for some activity or object of pursuit. It belongs to the same family as the far more familiar 'appetite', both descending from Latin roots meaning to strive toward or seek after, but where appetite dominates everyday speech, appetence survives chiefly in formal, literary, philosophical, and psychological registers. In older texts it often describes an innate leaning — toward knowledge, power, pleasure, or another person — emphasizing that the desire arises from one's nature rather than from circumstance. Modern readers are most likely to encounter it in historical writing or in discussions of instinctive motivation. Though seldom used in conversation, appetence offers writers a precise, elegant alternative when they wish to describe deep-seated longing without the bodily connotations that 'appetite' can carry.
nounA natural inclination, craving, or strong desire toward something, especially food or a particular pursuit.
- A natural craving or strong desire, especially for food.
- An instinctive inclination or attraction toward a particular activity, object, or pursuit.
"Her appetence for knowledge was evident from the moment she first opened an atlas."
"The convalescent's appetence returned slowly, along with his strength."
"He showed an early appetence for music, picking out melodies on the piano before he could read."
The plural is rare, typically appearing only in philosophical or psychological writing that distinguishes multiple distinct desires or drives.
"The philosopher catalogued the many appetences that govern human conduct."
Before 'appetite' took over the dinner table, English speakers once reached for the rarer 'appetence' to describe every kind of longing — and it still survives in psychology as a name for goal-directed drive.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of appetence
Appetence derives from the Latin verb 'appetere', meaning to strive after or seek eagerly, via related Latin forms such as 'appetentia'. It entered English in the late sixteenth or early seventeenth century, alongside its sibling forms 'appetent' and 'appetency'. It shares this Latin root with the much more common word 'appetite', which traveled through Old French before reaching English.
Related word forms
How appetence is actually used
Appetence is rare and formal in modern usage, appearing mostly in older literature, philosophical writing, and specialized psychological contexts. It carries a neutral to positive connotation of innate rather than learned desire. The variant form 'appetency' is similarly rare.
Easily confused with appetence
Appetite is the common everyday word for desire, especially for food, while appetence is a rare, more formal term for any natural inclination or craving.