What does avariciousness mean?
Avariciousness is a formal noun denoting an intense, insatiable greed for wealth or material possessions. It describes not merely wanting money but a consuming acquisitiveness regarded as morally objectionable — the trait of someone who accumulates relentlessly and parts with nothing willingly. The word appears most often in literary, journalistic, and moral commentary: biographers may attribute a tycoon's downfall to his avariciousness, or critics may condemn corporate conduct as evidence of institutional avariciousness. Because it is derived from the adjective avaricious, which in turn traces back to Latin 'avere', meaning to crave, it belongs to a small family of terms — alongside avarice and avidity — that link eager desire with grasping behavior. In tone it is strongly pejorative and elevated, lending gravity to accusations of cupidity where the plainer word 'greed' might sound too casual. For writers seeking a weighty, condemnatory term for rapacious appetite, avariciousness remains a precise and resonant choice.
nounThe quality or state of being avaricious; an insatiable greed for wealth or material gain.
- An excessive, insatiable desire for wealth or material gain.
"His avariciousness drove him to hoard profits while his employees' wages stagnated."
"The novel portrays the tycoon's avariciousness as the flaw that ultimately destroys his family."
"Critics accused the board of avariciousness after it slashed benefits while awarding itself record bonuses."
Avariciousness comes from the Latin 'avere', meaning 'to crave' — the same root that gives us 'avid', so an avid reader and a greedy miser are, etymologically speaking, cut from the same cloth.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of avariciousness
Avariciousness derives from the adjective avaricious, formed from the Latin 'avaritia', meaning greed, which itself stems from 'avere', to crave or desire eagerly. English borrowed 'avaricious' via Old French in the late medieval period, with 'avarice' attested by the thirteenth century; the abstract noun avariciousness was formed later within English using the common '-ness' suffix. It shares its ultimate root with 'avid' and 'avidity', both descended from the same Latin verb 'avēre'.
Related word forms
How avariciousness is actually used
Formal and somewhat literary in register; 'greed' is far more common in everyday speech. The word carries strong moral disapproval.
Easily confused with avariciousness
Audaciousness means boldness or daring, whereas avariciousness means greed for wealth — they sound vaguely similar but are entirely unrelated in meaning.