- Today's Word
Avarice
Avarice
AV-uh-ris
Definition
(noun) Extreme greed for wealth or material gain.
Example
His avarice drove him to exploit every opportunity, no matter who was hurt in the process.
Word Origin
From Latin avaritia, meaning “greed” or “covetousness.”
Fun Fact
Avarice has been condemned for centuries as one of the Seven Deadly Sins, but it often hides behind ambition or thrift. In literature, it’s a recurring theme—from Charles Dickens’s Ebenezer Scrooge to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Jay Gatsby—characters who chase wealth so relentlessly that it consumes their humanity. Psychologists note that avarice isn’t just about money; it’s about control and fear of loss, a hunger that grows stronger the more it’s fed.
