Covetousness
/ˈkʌv.ɪ.təs.nəs/noun
Excessive or greedy desire to possess something, especially what belongs to someone else.
Did you know?The word comes from a long line of French and Latin forms tied to intense desire, and in medieval English it often carried the moral weight of a spiritual vice, not just bad manners.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*keu̯-
“to desire, wish, or be eager for”
Latin
Latin
cupidus
“desirous, eager, greedy”
Late Latin
Latin
cupiditas
“desire, eagerness, greed”
Old French
Old French
coveitise
“greed, covetousness”
Middle English
English
covetousnesse
“greed, avarice, excessive desire”
Modern English
English
covetousness
“excessive or envious desire for what belongs to another”
Explore more surprising origins