rapacity

pronunciation

How to pronounce rapacity in British English: UK [rə'pæsətɪ]word uk audio image

How to pronounce rapacity in American English: US [rə'pæsətɪ] word us audio image

  • Noun:
    extreme gluttony
    reprehensible acquisitiveness; insatiable desire for wealth (personified as one of the deadly sins)

Word Origin

rapacity (n.)
1540s, from Middle French rapacité (16c.), from Latin rapacitatem (nominative rapacitas) "greediness," from rapax (genitive rapacis) "grasping, plundering," from rapere "seize" (see rapid).

Example

1. Some people think most criminals are attributed to rapacity of money .
2. The recent recalls are partly due to slipshod oversight and isolated acts of rapacity , both of which can , with difficulty , be rooted out .
3. Because of the rapacity of america 's lawyers , the fear of lawsuits encourages doctors to practise " defensive " medicine , again driving up costs .

more: >How to Use "rapacity" with Example Sentences