C17: from Latin appetentia, from appetere to crave
appetence in American English
(ˈæpɪtəns)
noun
1.
intense desire; strong natural craving; appetite
2.
instinctive inclination or natural tendency
3.
material or chemical attraction or affinity
Also: appetency
Derived forms
appetent
adjective
Word origin
[1600–10; appete (obs.) to seek for, long for (‹ L appetere, equiv. to ap-ap-1 + petere to seek) + -ence; or ‹ F appétence]This word is first recorded in the period 1600–10. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: adaptation, criticism, operate, progressive, skid
Synonyms of 'appetence'
desire, longing, need, hunger
inclination, drive, leaning, bent
liking, attraction, affection, affinity
More Synonyms of appetence
1 (noun)
Definition
a craving or desire
Synonyms
desire
I had a strong desire to help and care for people.
longing
He felt a longing for the familiar.
need
The need for revenge kept eating at me.
hunger
He has a hunger for success that seems bottomless.
appetite
our growing appetite for scandal
ache
an overwhelming ache for support from others
craving
I had a sudden craving for a cheese sandwich.
yearning
He spoke of his yearning for another child.
hankering
Have you always had a hankering to be an actress?
2 (noun)
Synonyms
inclination
She set out to follow her artistic inclinations.
drive
Hunger is one of the most basic and primitive drives of human behaviour.
leaning
I always had a leaning towards sport.
bent
a bent for natural history
instinct
She has a strong instinct to care for others.
penchant
She had a penchant for playing jokes on people.
propensity
She hadn't reckoned on his propensity for violence.
3 (noun)
Synonyms
liking
She had a liking for good clothes.
attraction
affection
She thought of him with affection.
affinity
There is a natural affinity between the two.
fondness
I've always had a fondness for jewels.
partiality
a partiality for junk food
allurement
Additional synonyms
in the sense of ache
an overwhelming ache for support from others
Synonyms
longing,
need,
hope,
wish,
desire,
urge,
yen (informal),
pining,
hunger,
craving,
yearning,
itch,
thirst,
hankering
in the sense of affection
Definition
fondness or tenderness for a person or thing
She thought of him with affection.
Synonyms
fondness,
liking,
feeling,
love,
care,
desire,
passion,
warmth,
attachment,
goodwill,
devotion,
kindness,
inclination,
tenderness,
propensity,
friendliness,
amity (formal),
aroha (New Zealand)
in the sense of affinity
Definition
a feeling of closeness to and understanding of a person