ENGLISH
REFERENCE

extravagance

n. uncountable
C1 Advanced US //ɛkˈstɹævəɡəns// UK //ɛkstɹˈævəɡəns// ex·trav·a·gance

n. the act of spending too much money on things that are not necessary. It describes a style of living that is very expensive and often wasteful.

n. the quality of being wastefully or recklessly expensive. Often refers to a lifestyle or expenditure that exceeds what is strictly necessary or prudent.


SIMPLE

The family's extravagance led to serious financial problems.

CONTEXTUAL

The new CEO promised to cut back on corporate extravagance and focus on more practical spending.

COMPLEX

While the palace was a marvel of architectural beauty, its sheer extravagance served as a constant reminder of the wealth gap between the royal family and the common people.

Synonyms
Origin

Borrowed from French extravagance, from Medieval Latin extra + vagor (“to wander”).

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