appetence

[ap-i-tuh ns]

See more synonyms for appetence on Thesaurus.com

noun

intense desire; strong natural craving; appetite.
instinctive inclination or natural tendency.
material or chemical attraction or affinity.

Origin of appetence

1600–10; appete (obsolete) to seek for, long for (< Latin appetere, equivalent to ap- ap-¹ + petere to seek) + -ence; or < French appétence

Related formsap·pe·tent, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for appetent

impatient, avid, fierce, fervent, anxious, eager, ardent, intense, zealous, attentive, mindful, loving, keen, inclined, hungry, greedy, parched, restless, thirsty, ambitious

Examples from the Web for appetent

Historical Examples of appetent

The sentient spirit, that to which transmigratory conditions pertain, is also of two kinds, the appetent and non-appetent.
The Sarva-Darsana-Samgraha
Madhava Acharya
The appetent is the spirit associated with an organism and organs; the non-appetent is the spirit apart from organism and organs.
The Sarva-Darsana-Samgraha
Madhava Acharya

British Dictionary definitions for appetent

appetence

appetency

noun plural -tences or -tencies

a natural craving or desire
a natural or instinctive inclination
an attraction or affinity

Word Origin for appetence

C17: from Latin appetentia, from appetere to crave

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for appetent

appetence

"strong desire," c.1600, from French appétence "desire," from Latin appetentia "longing after something," noun of state from appetentem (nominative appetens), present participle of appetere, from ad "to" (see ad-) + petere "to seek, request" (see petition (n.)).