plutolatry
Definition
- Noun:
- Worship of wealth: "plutolatry" refers to the excessive reverence, adoration, or devotion to money and material riches as if they were a deity.
- Idolatry of riches: The practice of treating wealth as an object of worship or supreme value, often to the exclusion of other moral or spiritual considerations.
Usage Examples
- (Worship of wealth as a guiding principle.)
- (Excessive devotion to money.)
- (Idolatry of riches.)
Advanced Usage
"to practice plutolatry": to engage in the worship of wealth.
- The billionaire's philanthropic gestures could not hide his underlying plutolatry. (His actions revealed a deep reverence for money.)
"the age of plutolatry": a historical or cultural period characterized by widespread worship of wealth.
- The Gilded Age in America is often described as an era of unchecked plutolatry. (A time when wealth was idolized.)
Variants and Related Words
Plutocrat (n): a person who derives power and influence from their wealth.
- The plutocrat used his money to control political decisions. (A wealthy person with power.)
Plutocratic (adj): relating to or characteristic of a plutocrat or plutocracy.
- The plutocratic elite resisted any tax reforms. (Pertaining to rule by the wealthy.)
Plutolatrous (adj): showing or characterized by the worship of wealth.
- His plutolatrous attitude made him unpopular among his peers. (Devoted to money.)
Synonyms
- Avarice: extreme greed for wealth or material gain.
- Mammonism: devotion to material wealth as a god (derived from "Mammon," a term for money in the Bible).
- Chrematolatry: worship of money (a less common synonym).
Related Idioms
To make a god of money: to treat wealth as the highest value.
- In his later years, he made a god of money, neglecting everything else. (Practiced plutolatry.)
To bow to the golden calf: to worship wealth (biblical allusion).
- The company's leadership bowed to the golden calf, prioritizing profits over ethics. (Engaged in plutolatry.)