mammon

noun

mam·​mon ˈma-mən How to pronounce mammon (audio)
often capitalized
: material wealth or possessions especially as having a debasing influence
you cannot serve God and mammonMatthew 6:24 (Revised Standard Version)
mammonism noun

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web In these books, we Americans are portrayed horribly — somehow simultaneously slovenly and uptight, perpetually dressed in spandex yet overweight, arrogant yet superficially friendly, impervious to pleasure and obsessed with mammon. New York Times, 12 June 2018

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

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Late Latin mammona, from Greek mamōna, from Aramaic māmōnā riches

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

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

Dictionary Entries Near mammon

Cite this Entry

“Mammon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mammon. Accessed 30 Mar. 2023.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!


Which Came First?

  • baby chick with a brown egg
  • hot take or cold shoulder?
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

TAKE THE QUIZ
Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can with using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.

Can you make 12 words with 7 letters?

PLAY