Concupiscence is a strong, sinful sexual desire or lust. It denotes intense carnal longing often discussed in theological or moral contexts, and can also indicate a general, fervent ardor or craving beyond mere appetite. The term emphasizes moral evaluation of erotic impulse and its conflict with virtue.
"Her sermons warned against concupiscence as a test of spiritual discipline."
"The character struggled with concupiscence, which he sought to restrain through prayer."
"In some philosophical texts, concupiscence is contrasted with reason and temperance."
"Medieval scholars debated how concupiscence affected free will and moral responsibility."
Concupiscence comes from Middle English concupissance, borrowings from Old French concupiscence and Latin concupiscentia, from concupiscere ‘to desire,' from con- ‘together, with’ + cupere ‘to desire, wish.' The root cupere is Latin for 'to desire.' The term made its way into English via ecclesiastical and scholastic Latin used in theological treatises, especially during the medieval period when discussions of sin, virtue, and moral psychology were central. The earliest uses are found in Latin theological writings around the 12th century, with English attestations appearing in religious and philosophical contexts in the 14th–15th centuries. Over time, concupiscence acquired a formal moral tone, often contrasted with ecclesiastical virtues and the concept of temperance. In modern usage, it remains a specialized, archaising lexical item primarily in theology, philosophy, and classical literature, retaining its sense of strong, disordered desire rather than simple appetite. The word has seen little daily usage, but it appears in theological dictionaries, scholastic commentary, and historical texts addressing sin and moral psychology.
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Words that rhyme with "Concupiscence"
-nse sounds
-nce sounds
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Pronounced con-ckoo-PIS-sens, with the main stress on the third syllable. IPA US: /kɒnˈkjʊpɪsəns/; UK: /kɒnˈkjʊpɪsəns/; AU: /kɒnˈkjʊpɪsəns/. The key is two-part onset in the third syllable: the 'cum' sound becomes 'kyu' as in 'cue' and the 'pis' is a short, crisp syllable. Keep the final 'səns' light and quick. Listen to careful enunciation in dictionaries and practice with the two- or three-syllable rhythm to land the stress correctly.
Typical errors: misplacing stress (shifting to con-COO-pis-sence) and mispronouncing the 'cu' as a plain 'ku' without the 'kyu' palate movement. Another frequent error is elongating the final syllable 'sence' or reducing it to 'sense.' Correction: maintain stress on the third syllable (con- KYU-pi-sence); use the 'kyu' vowel as in 'cue' (IPA /kjʊ/); keep the final syllable short and crisp to avoid a drawn-out 'sense.' Practice with minimal pairs to stabilize the vowel length and consonant clarity.
US/UK/AU share the /kjʊ/ sequence in the stressed syllable, but rhoticity and vowel coloring differ. US and AU typically maintain rhoticity with a post-vocalic r-less pattern in non-rhotic words, while UK often drops the 'r' in unstressed positions; however, 'concupiscence' contains no rhotic ending so difference is minimal. Vowel quality for /ɒ/ (as in cot) and /uː/ can shift slightly: US tends to a rounded back /ɒ/ and /jʊ/; UK often more centralized; AU vowels may be broader and more diphthongized in some speakers. Overall, the most noticeable contrasts are in vowel height and glide quality around the /kjʊ/ nucleus.
The difficulty stems from the multi-syllabic length with a less common tri-syllabic rhythm and the /kj/ onset in the stressed syllable, which requires active tongue elevation and a tight glide from /k/ to /j/. The combination of /k/ + /jʊ/ can create a tense cluster, and the final syllable 'səns' requires a light, quick schwa before 'ns.' These phonemes together demand precise coordination of tongue blade, palate, and lips to avoid a slurred or mis-stressed delivery.
There are no silent letters in this word, but the main challenge is proper stress placement on the third syllable (con- KYU-pi-sence). The 'cu' in that stressed syllable is not the simple /kju/; it’s the /kjʊ/ glide sequence, which can be tricky for speakers who simplify to /kj/ or /kju/ without the proper glide. Practicing the three-stress rhythm and the reduced, two-voice pattern (strong primary on the third syllable and quick closer) helps lock the cadence.
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