greed

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noun \ ˈgrēd \

Definition of greed

:a selfish and excessive desire for more of something (such as money) than is needed

motivated by naked ambition and greed

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Examples of greed in a Sentence

He was a ruthless businessman, motivated by naked ambition and greed.
don't let greed for riches control you

Recent Examples of greed from the Web

Their allegiance was met by this unholy alliance of perfidious greed devolving rapidly into the audacity of vituperative unparalleled predatory rapacity.

— Fortune, "24 Facts You May Not Know About Warren Buffett," 31 Aug. 2017
The ’97 Marlins gave us the post-World Series fire sale, perhaps the event most emblematic of skinflint owners’ greed and shortsightedness in that era.

— jack dickey, SI.com, "Derek Jeter Will Have His Work Cut Out for Him as CEO of Unavailing Marlins," 12 Aug. 2017
The real issue is the rampant greed that runs crazy in the power circles of the rich.

— chicago tribune, chicagotribune.com, "Quickly," 8 Aug. 2017
Using the lens of the horror genre, this anthology explores storylines related to the fan experience, celebrity, greed, alienation, obsession and vanity.

— lesley goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter, "Rainn Wilson, Greg Nicotero, Chris Hardwick Developing Scripted Dramas for AMC," 29 July 2017
What’s interesting is that the greed part of this was being fed: ‘

— christine muhlke, Bon Appetit, "This Is the Woman Behind the World's Best Restaurant," 24 July 2017
Even as evil celebrates its tiny triumphs, even as greed and mean spiritedness appear to be taking over, there are still miracles.

— lynne hinton, charlotteobserver, "Remembering the beauty around us when times are trying," 20 July 2017
CEOs of large public companies continue to win enormous compensation packages, fueling a running debate that touches on issues of fairness and merit, greed and incentive.

— george erb, The Seattle Times, "NW CEOs sitting pretty, despite public’s view that they’re paid too much," 15 July 2017
If the great state of California has the courage to take on the greed of the insurance companies and the drug companies, the rest of the country will follow.

— clio chang, New Republic, "What Killed Single-Payer In California?," 30 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'greed.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of greed

back-formation from greedy

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First Known Use: 1609

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greed Synonyms

GREED Defined for English Language Learners

greed

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noun

Definition of greed for English Language Learners

: a selfish desire to have more of something (especially money)

GREED Defined for Kids

greed

play

noun \ ˈgrēd \

Definition of greed for Students

:selfish desire for more than is needed

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See words that rhyme with greed Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for greed Spanish Central: Translation of greed Nglish: Translation of greed for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of greed for Arabic speakers

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greed

Definition of greed

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Origin and Etymology of greed

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GREED Defined for English Language Learners

greed

Definition of greed for English Language Learners

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greed

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