What does cupidity mean?
Cupidity is a formal noun denoting excessive, often unscrupulous greed — an overpowering appetite for money or material gain that overrides honesty and decency. It carries a strongly disapproving tone and appears most often in literary, journalistic, and moral commentary, as in critiques of corporate misconduct or political corruption ('motivated by sheer cupidity'). The word derives from the Latin cupiditas, from cupidus ('eager, desiring'), which shares its root with Cupid, the Roman god of love — a striking irony, since cupidity concerns the love of wealth rather than of people. While an older sense referred to strong desire in general, modern usage almost always centers on avarice. Writers choose cupidity over everyday words like greed when they want gravity, rhetorical force, or a touch of classical elegance, making it a valuable term for describing the darker side of human ambition.
nounExcessive greed for money or material gain; an intense and often unscrupulous desire for wealth.
- Excessive, often unscrupulous greed for wealth or material possessions.
- (Less commonly, in older usage) Strong desire or longing in general, not limited to material things.
"The company's collapse was driven less by ambition than by the sheer cupidity of its executives."
"The scandal revealed the naked cupidity of officials who sold public land for private profit."
"In his later novels Dickens returned again and again to themes of cupidity and its corrosive effects on the soul."
Despite being named after the god of love, cupidity has nothing to do with romance — it's all about greed for money.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cupidity
Cupidity comes from the Latin cupiditas, meaning desire or eagerness, itself derived from cupidus ('desiring') and ultimately the verb cupere, 'to long for.' The word entered English in the early 15th century, initially carrying the broader sense of strong desire before narrowing toward greed for wealth. It shares its Latin root with Cupid, the Roman god of amorous desire, and with the ecclesiastical term concupiscence.
How cupidity is actually used
Cupidity is a formal, literary word with strongly negative connotations. It typically appears in moral, political, or historical commentary rather than casual speech, where plain 'greed' would be more natural. Its ironic etymological link to Cupid makes it a favorite flourish in editorial writing.
Easily confused with cupidity
Cupid is the Roman god of love — the two share a Latin root meaning 'desire,' but cupidity refers to greed for wealth, not romance.
Stupidity means lack of intelligence or judgment; it merely sounds similar to cupidity, which denotes excessive greed.