acquisitiveness

IPA/əˈkwɪzətɪvnəs/
IPA/əˈkwɪzətɪvnəs/

acquisitiveness — noun

1. a strong desire to get and keep material possessions, often leading someone to b

1.名詞B2
釋義

a strong desire to get and keep material possessions, often leading someone to buy things they do not really need

例句

Nala's acquisitiveness meant her flat was packed with old teapots she never used.

possessive noun + 's + headword as subject

Tomás blamed his acquisitiveness for the stack of unopened gadgets in his garage.

同義詞
  • greed

    broader term covering desire for money, food, or power; stronger moral judgment

  • materialism

    a philosophical or cultural attitude that values possessions, not an active personal drive

  • avarice

    very formal and carries heavy moral disapproval, often used in religious contexts

  • possessiveness

    focuses on holding on tightly to what you already own rather than acquiring new things

反義詞
  • generosity

    willingness to give things away rather than accumulate them

  • minimalism

    a lifestyle choice to own very few possessions

常見錯誤

❌His acquisitiveness for money caused him to work seventy hours a week.
✅His greed for money caused him to work seventy hours a week.
💡Acquisitiveness is about wanting to own things, not about wanting money or status.

2. the practice of a company buying other companies as a way of growing its busines

2.名詞C1
釋義

the practice of a company buying other companies as a way of growing its business operations

例句

The airline's acquisitiveness led it to buy three smaller regional airlines in two years.

possessive noun + 's + headword as subject of result clause

Shareholders worried that the CEO's acquisitiveness would drain the company's cash reserves.

同義詞
  • expansionism

    focuses on the strategic goal of growing into new markets rather than the act of buying

  • M&A activity

    a broader, neutral term that includes both mergers and acquisitions

用法筆記

This sense belongs to the language of business and finance. It is almost always used with a possessive determiner referring to a specific company ('the chain's acquisitiveness', 'the group's acquisitiveness'). The verb counterpart in this sense is 'make acquisitions', not 'acquire' on its own.

常見錯誤

❌The company's acquisitiveness for office supplies was wasteful.
✅The company's acquisitiveness led it to buy two smaller competitors.
💡In the business sense, acquisitiveness refers to buying entire companies, not everyday goods or supplies.