What does concupiscible mean?
Concupiscible is a rare adjective meaning relating to, characterized by, or tending to arouse desire — especially sensual or bodily appetite. It derives from the Latin verb concupiscere, 'to earnestly desire or covet,' and entered English through the vocabulary of scholastic theology and philosophy. In the medieval tradition most closely associated with Thomas Aquinas, the soul was understood to possess a 'concupiscible' appetite, which draws it toward pleasurable goods like food, comfort, and sexual enjoyment, and an opposing 'irascible' appetite, which equips it to resist obstacles. Outside that intellectual context, the word functions today as a formal, somewhat archaic way of labeling lustful or covetous impulses, appearing mostly in theological treatises, histories of philosophy, and literary criticism. Its close relatives concupiscence and concupiscent are slightly more common, but all three remain specialized terms whose precision makes them valuable in scholarly writing about desire and the passions.
adjectiveOf, relating to, or characterized by desire or craving, especially sensual or sexual appetite; in scholastic philosophy, pertaining to the part of the soul that experiences desires of pleasure and aversion.
- Relating to or characterized by sensual or sexual desire; appetitive or lustful.
- (In scholastic philosophy) Designating the faculty or appetite of the soul directed toward pleasurable goods, as opposed to the irascible appetite concerned with resistance and aversion.
"The ascetic monk sought to master his concupiscible impulses through fasting and prayer."
"The theologian argued that concupiscible longing, rightly ordered, could be elevated toward love of the divine."
"In Aquinas's framework, the concupiscible powers draw the soul toward what is pleasant, while the irascible powers arm it against obstacles."
Medieval philosophers divided the soul into two appetites — the 'irascible' for anger and the 'concupiscible' for desire — meaning this rare adjective once did serious scientific work.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of concupiscible
Concupiscible comes from the Latin concupiscibilis, formed from the verb concupiscere, meaning 'to desire earnestly or covet,' itself built from cupere, 'to desire.' The word passed into English via ecclesiastical Latin during the medieval and early modern periods, when scholastic philosophy was absorbed into European scholarship, with early attestations around the sixteenth century. It shares its root with concupiscence, concupiscent, cupidity, and ultimately with words tracing back to Cupid, the Roman god of desire.
How concupiscible is actually used
A rare, scholarly term found chiefly in theology, moral philosophy, and translations of medieval texts. In ordinary usage it carries a strongly formal, even archaic register, and readers will most often encounter it in discussions of scholastic psychology or classical theories of the passions.
Easily confused with concupiscible
Concupiscent means actively full of lustful desire, while concupiscible describes something capable of being desired or relating to the faculty of desire itself.
Concupiscence is the noun denoting strong sexual desire or covetousness itself, whereas concupiscible is an adjective describing anything related to or arousing such desire.