avidité
/a.vi.di.te/feminine
In French, greed can be expressed as avidité or cupidité.
Meaning: selfish desire for more than is needed (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| avidité | /a.vi.di.te/ | feminine |
| cupidité | /ky.pi.di.te/ | feminine |
Both words refer to a selfish desire for more than is needed.
Which one should you use?
avidité is often used to describe an intense eagerness or an insatiable hunger for something, such as power or knowledge. In contrast, cupidité is a more specific term that focuses almost exclusively on the desire for money, wealth or material gain.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective form of avidité is avide, which means greedy.
How do you pronounce it?
/a.vi.di.te/
Did you know?
- The word cupidité shares an ancestor with the name of the Roman god of love, 'Cupid', because both stems relate to intense longing or desire.
- In French, there is a distinct difference between the greed for money, cupidité, and the greed for food, gourmandise. While the former is seen as a vice, the latter is often considered a pleasant or charming quality.
- In a legal context, the word convoitise is used to describe the specific, often illicit, desire to possess something that belongs to someone else.
Examples in context
- J'ai été envahi par la cupidité.I was overtaken by greed.This sentence shows how one can be overtaken by cupidité.Tatoeba #11166429 by Aiji, translation #1521837 by erikspen
- L'avidité n'est pas toujours bonne.Greed is not always good.This sentence provides a general statement using avidité.Tatoeba #1869465 by sacredceltic, translation #1866479 by Spamster
- Les gens en ont marre de la cupidité des entreprises.People are sick and tired of corporate greed.This sentence illustrates the use of cupidité in the context of corporate behavior.Tatoeba #10779745 by lbdx, translation #10779739 by User105223
- Il ne pense qu'à son profit personnel, faisant preuve d'une grande avidité.He only thinks about his personal gain, showing great greed.
- La cupidité des multinationales nuit souvent à l'environnement et aux communautés locales.The greed of multinational companies often harms the environment and local communities.
- Cet homme d'affaires montre une voracité sans limites, prêt à tout pour accumuler encore plus de richesses.This businessman displays limitless greed, willing to do anything to amass even more wealth.
- Cet homme affiche une rapacité sans scrupules, prêt à tout pour s'enrichir rapidement.This man displays shameless greed, willing to do anything to get rich quickly.
- une avidité dévoranteA devouring greed
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Hugo are discussing a movie about a corrupt billionaire.
- ChloéL'avidité du personnage est effrayante.The character's greed is frightening.
- HugoOui, il veut tout posséder.Yes, he wants to own everything.
- ChloéC'est une leçon sur l'avidité.It's a lesson about greed.
- HugoC'est vrai, Hugo est d'accord.That's true, Hugo agrees.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “greed” translations and entries avidité, cupidité, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries avidité, cupidité, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
