What does appetency mean?
Appetency is a noun denoting a natural, often instinctive desire or inclination toward something — a craving of the mind or spirit rather than merely of the body. It can describe a person's deep-seated longing for knowledge, beauty, companionship, or any object of pursuit, and in older philosophical and psychological writing it named the fundamental impulse by which living beings are drawn toward what satisfies them. The word derives from Latin appetentia, rooted in appetere, 'to strive after,' making it a sibling of the more familiar appetite. Today appetency survives mainly in formal, literary, and scholarly contexts, where it lends a tone of refinement and gravity. Though uncommon, it remains useful precisely because it captures a broader and more enduring kind of wanting than words like craving or hankering — a settled orientation of one's whole nature toward something desired.
nounA natural inclination, desire, or craving directed toward something; an instinctive longing or appetite for a particular object or activity.
- An instinctive natural desire or craving toward something.
- In philosophy and psychology: a fundamental tendency or impulse by which a being is drawn toward objects that satisfy its needs (a term used especially in older philosophical writing).
"Her appetency for knowledge led her to spend every spare hour in the library."
"The child showed an early appetency for music, drumming rhythms on every surface in the house."
"Philosophers of the eighteenth century spoke of appetency as the inner force that draws all living things toward their proper ends."
The plural appears occasionally in philosophical or psychological texts referring to multiple distinct desires or drives within a person or organism.
"The philosopher catalogued the various appetencies that govern human conduct."
Before 'appetite' meant just hunger, its Latin ancestor described the soul's cravings of every kind — and 'appetency' preserves that older, grander sense.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of appetency
Appetency comes from Latin appetentia, meaning 'desire' or 'striving after,' derived from the verb appetere, 'to seek or aim at.' It entered English in the early 17th century, initially in theological and philosophical contexts describing the soul's inclinations. It shares this Latin root with appetite and with the rarer adjective appetent, which likewise describes having a strong desire for something.
How appetency is actually used
Appetency is rare in everyday modern speech and belongs chiefly to formal, literary, academic, or older philosophical writing. It carries a neutral to elevated connotation, suggesting a deep-seated rather than passing desire.
Easily confused with appetency
Appetite typically refers to a physical desire, especially for food, while appetency is a broader, more abstract term for any instinctive longing or inclination.