avidity

noun

avid·​i·​ty ə-ˈvi-də-tē How to pronounce avidity (audio)
a-
plural avidities
1
: the quality or state of being avid:
a
: keen eagerness
b
: consuming greed
2

Examples of avidity in a Sentence

an advanced case of avidity that led to shoplifting at the tender age of 13 in her avidity to express her opinions, she frequently and unthinkingly interrupts people
Recent Examples on the Web Her avidity added some dimension to Gold’s vision of a world in which justice is meted out to those who speak most eloquently and power redounds to those who are already powerful. Daniel D'addario, Variety, 19 Mar. 2024 The sheer avidity and gusto of Genevieve Simon’s all-out performance as Rosalind sets the tone for this winningly buoyant production of Shakespeare’s pastoral comedy. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 21 June 2023 This is influenced by a number of factors, including but not limited to the stability of the virus in the air, the avidity of the virus Spike protein to the host cell, the efficiency and concentration to which the virus replicates, and how days a person is contagious. William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2021 Those with an avidity for all things Saint Laurent will want to cover the six institutions, but the pleasure of this multi-stop exhibition, organized by and displaying the archives of the Fondation Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint Laurent, is that visitors need not follow any prescribed order. Amy Verner, Vogue, 28 Feb. 2022 Read the rest here, and please celebrate the holidays with avidity—whatever that might mean to you. Lila MacLellan, Fortune, 16 Dec. 2022 The trouble was that Giuliani was cashing in on a reputation for honesty and probity with unseemly avidity. Louis Menand, The New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2022 Honoring the contributions of the enslaved in a city that abounds with layers of historical mysteries can require avidity of purpose and judicious interpretation. Klara Glowczewska, Town & Country, 18 Mar. 2022 Mutations may also increase the avidity of the spike protein for the receptor or stabilize the spike, increasing infectivity. William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'avidity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of avidity was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near avidity

Cite this Entry

“Avidity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/avidity. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

avidity

noun
: a characteristic of antibodies (such as antitoxins) that tends to enhance their rate or stability in binding with an antigen
Antibody avidity is an average measure of the affinity of the antibodies for a particular antigen in a serum sample.Dominic F. Kelly, The New England Journal of Medicine

More from Merriam-Webster on avidity

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