Concupiscence

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /kÉ™nˈkjuːpɪsÉ™ns/

Origin

From Latin concupiscentia, from concupīscō ("I desire strongly, I desire eagerly; I covet").

Full definition of concupiscence

Noun

1. An ardent desire, especially sexual desire; lust.
• Quite certainly you command me to refrain from concupiscence of the flesh and concupiscence of the eyes and worldy pride. — St. Augustine, The Confessions X, 30, 41. Trans Maria Boulding.
• He was torn by two intense and conflicting desires: his ardent wish to advance through his association with Mr. Browning, and his concupiscence. — Please Pass the Guilt, Rex Stout, 1973.
• Skaters, spinning like atoms across fields of pure light, are desirable in a way that transcends mere concupiscence; they inhabit another element, and the man who would try to catch one risks, literally, falling on his ass. — Newsweek, Winter 1994.

Related terms

• concupiscent adj