Is there a single word for “money-mindedness”?

Question

I'm looking for a single word for describing a person "whose motive is dictated by money"...I seem to recall there was an elegant word for this, but I can't remember it now...can someone help?

Answer 1

Mercenary comes to mind
But there are more:

acquisitive, avaricious, bribable, corrupt, covetous, grabby, grasping, miserly, money-grubbing, selfish, sordid, stingy, unethical, unprincipled, unscrupulous, venal

Answer 2

Perhaps chrematistic is the word you have in mind; I've heard it used this way although I don't think it's strictly correct. See http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/chrematistic?qsrc=2446

Answer 3

Mercenary, grasping, venal and other synonyms already suggested are good, but they all are derogatory. If you want to put a neutral or positive spin on it, I would rather suggest money-oriented or money-driven.

Answer 4

You may be looking for parsimonious or its more obsessive cousin, miserly.

Answer 5

How about just plain greedy? They say the love of money is the root of all evil.

Answer 6

Capitalist?

Answer 7

A positive take on one whose motivation is to save money is to call them economical.

(of a person or lifestyle) careful not to waste money or resources.

Answer 8

"stingy" or "miserly" might be appropriate if the context refers to a motive not to spend money.

I'd use "greedy" if the motive was to acquire more money when the individual was already rich (and clearly didn't need the money).

"mercenary" would perhaps be better if the person was doing something only for the purpose of money, and not caring about other consequences.

Answer 9

Materialistic describes a person who is markedly more concerned with material things (such as money and possessions)

Answer 10

pecunious

Etymology: < Middle French pécunieux (c1370 as peccunieux in sense 1, 1498 as pecunieulx (plural) in the passage translated in quot. 1509 at sense 2; French pécunieux, now rare) and its etymon classical Latin pecūniōsus well provided with money, moneyed < pecūnia money (see pecunial adj.) + -ōsus -ous suffix.

The negative impecunious adj. is much more used.

1. Well provided with money; moneyed, wealthy.
2. Money-loving, avaricious; miserly, ungenerous; (also) frugal, thrifty.

Answer 11

I can't tell whether you are talking about a person who tries to save money or to earn/acquire it.

If you are after the former, then some great examples have already been given:

Thrifty, Miserly, Parsimonious and I would also suggest frugal as a slightly less negative option.

If you want the latter, I would suggest avaricious.

Almost everything I can think of seems to have negative connotation, so if you are trying to sound positive, you might need to use a word like ambitious or enterprising, which are not really dedicated to the money element, but do hint at it.

Answer 12

While 'pecunious' suggested by @tchrist sounds like the most technically accurate, in casual conversation the terms:

• 'penny pincher', for someone always checking they don't overspend; or
• 'bean counter', for someone always concerned with amounts of money spent or available to be spent; or
• 'scrooge', for someone who goes to great lengths to avoid even fair expenses,

may well be what you're after.

Answer 13

I just realised the word you are trying to think of: avarice, the kind of word that is used in the Bible and by 19th century street-corner preachers.

A person whose every action is dictated by money is thus avaricious.

Answer 14

A single word for a person whose motive is dictated by money would be greed or greedy but that is a description of the person. What about a curmudgeon meaning a miserly cantankerous person?

Or a more positive take on the question like someone had offered up above (ie economical) would be frugal - to be good with one's resources.