concupiscence

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

• (UK) IPA^(key): /kənˈkjuːpɪsəns/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

concupiscence (countable and uncountable, plural concupiscences)

1. An ardent desire, especially sexual desire; lust.
   • 1571, Arthur Golding, “To the Right Honorable and His Verie Good Lord Edward de Vere Erle of Oxinford, […]”, in John Calvin; Arthur Golding, transl., The Psalmes of Dauid and Others. VVith M. Iohn Caluin’s Commentaries, London: […] Thomas East and Henry Middelton; for Lucas Harison, and G[e]orge Byshop, OCLC 1121348373, 1st part, folio iiij, recto:

     [Y]it haue vvee one thing in our ſelues and of our ſelues, (euen originall ſinne, concupiſcence or luſt) vvhich neuer ceaſeth too egge vs and allure vs from God, and too ſtaine vs vvith all kinde of vnclennes: […]

   • 1662, Jacques Olivier, Richard Banke, transl., A Discourse of Women, Shewing Their Imperfections Alphabetically, OCLC 14507264, page 5:

     for as St. Jerome observes, it is to shew that the true Christian not setting his heart upon the goods of the Earth, ought to trample under foot, all Avarice and immoderate concupiscence of corruptible riches: […]

   • 1888 September 29, Henry James, “[The Aspern Papers.] Chapter IX.”, in The Aspern Papers; Louisa Pallant; The Modern Warning, London; New York, N.Y.: Macmillan and Co., OCLC 29376545, pages 135–136:

     Poor Miss Tita's sense of her failure had produced an extraordinary alteration in her, but I had been too full of my literary concupiscence to think of that. Now I perceived it; I can scarcely tell how it startled me.

   • 1973, Rex Stout, Please Pass the Guilt:

     He was torn by two intense and conflicting desires: his ardent wish to advance through his association with Mr. Browning, and his concupiscence.

   • 1994, Newsweek, winter:

     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.

   • 1997, St. Augustine, The Confessions, X, 30, 41. translated by Maria Boulding:

     Quite certainly you command me to refrain from concupiscence of the flesh and concupiscence of the eyes and worldy pride.

2. (Roman Catholicism) the desire of a person's lower appetite, contrary to reason, which subjugates and inclines them to experience temptation and to give in to sin, due to the Fall and original sin.

• concupiscent (adjective)

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

• IPA^(key): /kɔ̃.ky.pi.sɑ̃s/

concupiscence f (uncountable)

1. concupiscence

• “concupiscence”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.