ACQUISITIVE Synonyms: 67 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'acquisitive' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of acquisitive are avaricious , covetous , grasping , and greedy . While all these words mean "having or showing a strong desire for especially material possessions," acquisitive implies both eagerness to possess and ability to acquire and keep. // an eagerly acquisitive mind

Q: When could 'avaricious' be used to replace 'acquisitive'?

While in some cases nearly identical to acquisitive , avaricious implies obsessive acquisitiveness especially of money and strongly suggests stinginess. // an avaricious miser

Q: When would 'covetous' be a good substitute for 'acquisitive'?

While the synonyms covetous and acquisitive are close in meaning, covetous implies inordinate desire often for another's possessions. // covetous of his brother's country estate

Q: How does the word 'grasping' relate to other synonyms for 'acquisitive'?

Grasping adds to covetous and greedy an implication of selfishness and often suggests unfair or ruthless means. // a hard grasping businesswoman who cheated her associates

Q: When might 'greedy' be a better fit than 'acquisitive'?

The synonyms greedy and acquisitive are sometimes interchangeable, but greedy stresses lack of restraint and often of discrimination in desire. // greedy for status symbols

acquisitive

adjective

ə-ˈkwi-zə-tiv

Definition of acquisitive next

as in greedy

having or marked by an eager and often selfish desire especially for material possessions acquisitive developers are trying to tear down the historic home and build a shopping mall

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How does the adjective acquisitive differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of acquisitive are avaricious, covetous, grasping, and greedy. While all these words mean "having or showing a strong desire for especially material possessions," acquisitive implies both eagerness to possess and ability to acquire and keep.

an eagerly acquisitive mind

When could avaricious be used to replace acquisitive?

While in some cases nearly identical to acquisitive, avaricious implies obsessive acquisitiveness especially of money and strongly suggests stinginess.

an avaricious miser

When would covetous be a good substitute for acquisitive?

While the synonyms covetous and acquisitive are close in meaning, covetous implies inordinate desire often for another's possessions.

covetous of his brother's country estate

How does the word grasping relate to other synonyms for acquisitive?

Grasping adds to covetous and greedy an implication of selfishness and often suggests unfair or ruthless means.

a hard grasping businesswoman who cheated her associates

When might greedy be a better fit than acquisitive?

The synonyms greedy and acquisitive are sometimes interchangeable, but greedy stresses lack of restraint and often of discrimination in desire.

greedy for status symbols

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of acquisitive Allen Media Group has been acquisitive over the past six years. —

William Earl, Variety, 4 Sep. 2024 From the 1910s through the 1940s, the maharajas were an obsessively acquisitive clan of car geeks, ordering Bentleys and Rollses by the boatload for their private caches. —

Christopher Bagley, Robb Report, 10 Aug. 2024 The book-to-TV market remains red hot, with Heyday parent UIS among the most acquisitive in the past year. —

Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 9 July 2024 Yet in a system that was not led by Washington or another democratic superpower, the aggressive, flagrantly acquisitive action Putin has taken in Ukraine, and that Beijing has taken in the South China Sea, would be far more common. —

Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 24 May 2022 See all Example Sentences for acquisitive

Recent Examples of Synonyms for acquisitive

Adjective

In his testimony earlier this month, former House Speaker Michael Madigan cast himself as a champion of the working class, a consensus-builder who used his power to bring people together on legislation and protect constituents from greedy utilities and corporations.

— Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 24 Jan. 2025
His heroes are often murderous vigilantes doling out death sentences to greedy politicians, officials and businessmen.

— Anupama Chopra, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Jan. 2025