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

The governance issues he confronted—conflicts of interest, self-dealing, and the temptation to look the other way—are recurring features of modern capitalism, perhaps now more than ever.

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 2026

The signal-blocking pouch removes the "temptation" for students, he says, allowing them to be "absolutely focused on learning", as well as "face-to-face contact and social interaction".

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

While 13 American service members have died in the war so far, there is a temptation to believe that our troops will be mostly spared.

From Slate • Mar. 16, 2026

It reminded him of reaching port after a long trip at sea; the temptation was to leap from the ship and dance and run on the solid and limitless earth.

From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers