temptation

American  

[temp-tey-shuhn] / tɛmpˈteɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of tempting; enticement or allurement.

   Synonyms:

   inducement, seduction, pull, attraction, lure

2. something that tempts, entices, or allures.

3. the fact or state of being tempted, especially to evil.

4. an instance of this.

5. (initial capital letter) the temptation of Christ by Satan. Matthew 4.

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temptation British  

/ tɛmpˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of tempting or the state of being tempted

2. a person or thing that tempts

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Other Word Forms

• nontemptation noun
• pretemptation noun
• supertemptation noun
• temptational adjective

Etymology

Origin of temptation

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English temptacion, from Latin temptātiōn- (stem of temptātiō ) “a testing”; tempt, -ation

Example Sentences

Standard money advice tells you to unsubscribe from paid services, but unsubscribing from the temptation to spend can save you significantly more in the long run.

From MarketWatch

There were a few boos at the end - small pockets and quickly disappearing - and the temptation was to laugh when they came.

From BBC

The temptation to find corporate scapegoats for social ills is great.

From The Wall Street Journal

He decided early on in his career to ignore the temptations of London and to run his music business from Manchester, a place which he said "has something special" that "no other city can replicate".

From BBC

There is clearly a temptation for the U.S. to call its campaign complete.

From The Wall Street Journal