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

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 Societies around the world have embraced the competitive and acquisitive spirit hardwired into capitalism, without which incomes decline, poverty increases, and technological progress slows. —Branko Milanovic, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2019 The condition for the survival of an acquisitive society is twofold. —Foreign Affairs, 18 Dec. 2011 The synergies that acquisitive CEOs routinely promise often fail to materialize, but in this instance there was never any realistic prospect for synergies. —Martin Fridson, Forbes, 25 Nov. 2024 But the dealer’s acquisitive focus often operated as a Midas touch, turning those around him into golden objects. —Tad Friend, The New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2024 See All Example Sentences for acquisitive

Recent Examples of Synonyms for acquisitive

Adjective

The family drama comedy follows a Gen Z content creator who returns to her ancestral home for viral content, only to encounter her deceased brother’s ghost and deal with greedy relatives.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 17 Mar. 2025
Along that greedy path, he has been sued by the US Securities and Exchange Commission three separate times.

— DP Opinion, The Denver Post, 11 Mar. 2025