What does chrematist mean?
A chrematist is a person devoted to the making and accumulating of money, especially where that pursuit is treated as an art or discipline in its own right. The term derives from the ancient Greek chrēma, meaning a thing or possession, and from chrēmatistēs, one who deals in such things. It is best known through the philosophy of Aristotle, who drew a sharp line between the legitimate management of a household's needs and what he called chrematistics — the acquisition of wealth for its own sake, which he regarded as unnatural and endless. Because of this heritage, the word appears almost entirely in scholarly contexts: translations of classical texts, histories of economic ideas, and philosophical critiques of commercial society. It carries a subtly disapproving tone, suggesting acquisitiveness unmoored from genuine human purposes. Though virtually never used in ordinary conversation, it remains a precise and evocative label for the profit-seeker as a type.
nounA person who engages in or is devoted to money-making, especially the acquisition of wealth regarded as a distinct pursuit or art; a practitioner of chrematistics.
- A person who pursues the acquisition of wealth, especially as practised as an art or science (rare; used mainly in historical and philosophical discussion of economics)
"Aristotle dismissed the chrematist as one who mistakes accumulation for the true end of economic life."
"In his critique of commerce, Aristotle contrasted the household manager with the mere chrematist."
"The essay portrayed the Victorian financier as a modern chrematist, endlessly multiplying exchange for its own sake."
Regular plural; rare even in scholarly prose.
"Aristotle warned that chrematists would never be satisfied by any finite fortune."
When Aristotle wanted a word for people obsessed with getting rich, he reached for 'chrematist' — and he thoroughly disapproved of them.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of chrematist
The word comes from ancient Greek chrēmatistēs, derived from chrēma ('thing, possession, money'), itself from chrēsthai ('to use, need'). It entered English through learned Latin usage in translations of and commentaries on Aristotle, whose distinction between household management (oikonomia) and wealth-getting (chrēmatistikē) gave the term its lasting sense. Related English formations include chrematistics and chrematistic, both likewise confined to academic writing.
Related word forms
How chrematist is actually used
An extremely rare, scholarly term encountered almost exclusively in translations of Aristotle and in histories of economic thought. It carries a faintly pejorative connotation of acquisitiveness divorced from genuine usefulness.
Easily confused with chrematist
A chemist is a scientist dealing with substances and reactions, whereas a chrematist is someone devoted to the acquisition of wealth; they share only an '-ist' ending.