avarice
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of avarice
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Old French, from Latin avāritia, equivalent to avār(us) “greedy” + -itia -ice
Explanation
Avarice is a fancy word for good old-fashioned greed. It's one of what some call "the seven deadly sins." Do you want more and more money? Or cookies? Or video games? Or anything? Then your heart is full of avarice, which you probably know better as greed. When people talk about greed, it's clearly not a good thing, but avarice has an even worse flavor to it. Avarice is often looked upon as a sin, and it's always considered despicable and evil.
Vocabulary lists containing avarice
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
A Christmas Carol
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The death of a British teen reveals a bizarre tale of avarice and deception.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026
Behind the rhetoric of sisterhood lurks avarice and greed.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 19, 2025
But some of the most striking examples are not of intentional cruelty or blatant avarice but of simple blind spots.
From Salon • Dec. 31, 2024
The head of Dagestan, Sergei Melikov, has said the causes of the incident were "greed and avarice" which had allowed all rational safety rules to be broken.
From Reuters • Aug. 16, 2023
If the conscience of the Scythedom fails, replaced by the avarice of privilege, we could become our own worst enemy again.
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
