avidity
Americannoun
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eagerness; greediness.
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enthusiasm or dedication.
noun
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the quality or state of being avid
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eagerness
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greed; avarice
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chem
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the strength of an acid or base in proportion to its degree of dissociation
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another term for affinity
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immunol a measure of antigen-to-antibody binding, based on the rate of formation of the complex
Etymology
Origin of avidity
1400–50; late Middle English avidite < Middle French < Latin aviditās. See avid, -ity
Explanation
Avidity is a feeling of enthusiasm, a form of willingness and eagerness. If you’re a fan of girl detectives, you read all of the Nancy Drew books with avidity. People who like something a lot are avid, like avid fans of Batman who see every movie and collect every comic book. The noun form is avidity, which refers to this quality of being enthusiastic and eager. The word avidity is from the Latin aviditatem for "eagerness.” When starting a new project, like writing a story, most people dive in with avidity. When you feel avidity, you're keen to do something — you really want to do it.
Vocabulary lists containing avidity
"The Pit and the Pendulum" by Edgar Allan Poe
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The Wind in the Willows
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What Maisie Knew
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The analysts say their forecast for Novartis’s quarterly sales of $13.3 billion is in line with consensus estimates, but they anticipate worse generic pressure and the recently closed Avidity deal to dilute margins.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
Last month, following its $12 billion agreement to buy Avidity Biosciences RNA 0.06%increase; green up pointing triangle , the company lifted its annual sales growth guidance for the 2024-29 period to 6% from 5%.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 20, 2025
But for Dyne, Matteis believes the deal for Avidity is “highly validating,” as it corroborates the expected value of muscle-delivery technology and the attractiveness of the markets for even rare diseases like DMD.
From MarketWatch • Oct. 27, 2025
Avidity Biosciences surged 43% to $70.09 after Swiss drugmaker Novartis agreed to buy the biotech company in a deal valued at around $12 billion.
From Barron's • Oct. 27, 2025
Avidity for gold had overreached itself in his case, as it does in those of so many others.
From The Chainbearer Or, The Littlepage Manuscripts by Cooper, James Fenimore
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
