Pleonexia (πλεονεξία) means covetousness, greed, avarice, or the insatiable desire for more. Literally 'a desire to have more,' it describes the ruthless, self-aggrandizing pursuit of gain. It is the noun form related to pleonekteo (G4122) and pleonektes (G4123).
Jesus warns against pleonexia in Luke 12:15: 'Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed.' He then tells the parable of the rich fool who stored up wealth but was 'not rich toward God.' Mark 7:22 lists pleonexia among evils from the human heart. Paul in Colossians 3:5 equates greed with idolatry — because it places material gain where only God belongs. The word appears in vice lists alongside sexual immorality, showing the NT treats disordered desire for possessions with the same seriousness as disordered sexual desire. Both represent a fundamental misalignment of worship.