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The insatiable word nerds among us will appreciate voracity, a word used to refer to both literal and figurative appetites that simply cannot be quelled. Voracity comes to us (via Middle French) from the Latin word voracitas, which itself comes from the combining of vorax, meaning “voracious,” with -itas, the Latin equivalent of the English noun suffix -ity. Voracity is one of two English words that mean “the quality or state of being voracious.” The other is voraciousness, which was once considered archaic but has made a comeback. Because voracity developed from non-English forerunners, rather than being created in English from voracious (as was voraciousness), the word may strike some English speakers as an unusual formation. It’s not surprising, therefore, that the more familiar-looking voraciousness has reappeared—most likely through a process of reinvention by people unfamiliar with voracity.
Examples of voracity in a Sentence
Eric Trager, Foreign Affairs, 24 Sep. 2014
The biblical voracity of these insects make them among the world’s most destructive pests.
—Gennaro Tomma, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2024
Obviously though, this voracity for Sonnys doesn’t happen in a vacuum.
—Alex Abad-Santos, Vox, 8 July 2024
The voracity with which Caputo achieved a fiscal surplus during the first full month of the administration was shocking.
—Agustino Fontevecchia, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for voracity 
Dictionary Entries Near voracity
Cite this Entry
“Voracity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/voracity. Accessed 18 Dec. 2024.
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