extravagance
UK[ɪkˈstrævəɡəns]US[ɪkˈstrævəɡəns]
n
the act or habit of spending more money than you can afford or than is necessary
n
something that you buy although it costs a lot of money, perhaps more than you can afford or than is necessary
Morpheme Breakdown
extra
vag
ance
extra
outside, beyond
vag
wander
ance
noun suffix
Etymology
the word extravagance has a vivid literal origin. it is built from the latin elements 'extra-' meaning 'outside' and 'vagārī' meaning 'to wander'. the combined latin verb 'extravagārī' literally meant 'to wander outside or beyond', originally used to describe straying beyond proper bounds. this concrete sense of wandering outside limits was metaphorically extended to the realm of behavior and finance, coming to signify actions that go beyond the bounds of reason, moderation, or good sense. the suffix '-ance' was added to form a noun describing the state or quality of such excessive behavior, crystallizing into its modern meaning of excessive or wasteful spending.
Analysis
Structure: extra (outside, beyond) + vag (wander) + ance (noun suffix)
extra: from latin 'extra', meaning 'outside of, beyond'. a prefix indicating excess or being outside a boundary.
vag: from latin root 'vagārī', meaning 'to wander, roam'. it is a bound root, not a standalone word in english.
ance: from latin '-antia', a suffix forming nouns of state, quality, or action.
Examples
his one extravagance was fine vintage cars.
the wedding was an exercise in pure extravagance.
she criticized the government's extravagance with public funds.