covetousness

covetousness

English

Etymology

covetous +‎ -ness

Noun

covetousness (usually uncountable, plural covetousnesses)

1. Immoderate desire for the possession of something, especially for wealth.
   • 1588: La Placette, Jean Of the Incurable Scepticism of the Church of Rome

     He which will yield to Fear. muſt neceſſarily yield to Covetouſneſs or any inordinate Deſire.

   • 1661: Johnson, J. The morning-exercise at Cripple-gate

     Covetouſneſs is the yelow Jaundice of the foul, which ariſes from the over-flowing of the heart with love to yellow gold, by which a Chriſtian is dull'd and deadned.

   • 1815: Lavington, Samuel Sermons and other discourses, Volume 1

     Covetousness prevents all good, and is and inlet and encouragement to evil.

   • 1976: Ellul, Jacques The Ethics of Freedom page 134

     In obvious compensation and opposition the fear of nothingness becomes the source of covetousness...

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:greed

Translations

desire for the possession of something

Dutch: begerigheid f Estonian: ihalus Finnish: ahneus (fi), kateus (fi) French: convoitise (fr) f Galician: cobiza Georgian: ხარბობა (xarboba)

German: Habsucht (de), Gier (de) f Irish: antlás m Persian: حرص‎ (fa) (hers) Romanian: poftă nemăsurată f, râvnire excesivă f Spanish: codicia (es) f