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avarizia

avarice

noun ah-vah-REET-tsyah Rare

Origin: Latin avaritia, from avarus (greedy)

Also means

greed

Usage Note

Avarizia is one of the seven deadly sins in Catholic tradition. It means an excessive, miserly attachment to money or possessions, stronger and more censorious than mere parsimonia (thrift). The adjective is avaro (miser, miserly); a person consumed by avarizia is un avaro. Do not confuse avaro with the false friend 'avid' — avido covers that meaning in Italian.

Examples

"La sua avarizia lo rendeva odiato da tutti."

Natural Translation

His avarice made him hated by everyone.

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