luxuria

Luxuria is a Latin noun that carries the sense of luxury, extravagance, or excessive indulgence. In classical Latin it could denote opulent living and overabundance, sometimes without moral judgment, but it also carried a sense of moral excess when tied to personal conduct or social behavior.

Etymologically, luxuria derives from luxus, meaning excess, opulence, or abundance. The word has contributed to the modern English term luxury and to theological uses that emphasize excess in pursuit of pleasures. In Latin literature and early Christian thought, luxuria could describe broadly indulged living, yet in religious contexts it grew to be a technical term for one of the seven deadly sins.

In Christian moral theology, luxuria is commonly identified as one of the seven deadly sins, usually translated as lust. The concept, however, often includes a wider sense of unrestrained desire for sensual pleasures, not limited to sexual activity. Medieval and scholastic writers, such as those in the works of Thomas Aquinas, treated luxuria as a vice that distorts the proper ordering of passions and leads to moral and social harm. It is listed alongside gula (gluttony), avaritia (greed), acedia (sloth), ira (wrath), invidia (envy), and superbia (pride).

Today, luxuria appears mainly in historical, theological, or literary discussions. In general usage, the term may refer to sexual lust or to extravagant, immoderate living, depending on context and emphasis.

See also: Seven deadly sins; Lust; Hedonism.