[ad. late L. sumptuōsitās, f. sumptuōsus SUMPTUOUS. Cf. F. somptuosité, etc.] Lavishness or extravagance of expenditure; magnificence or luxuriousness of living, equipment, decoration, or the like.
1559. Bercher, Nobylytye Wymen (Roxb.), 127. Simonides namyd a woman to be … the poyson of lyffe … the battell off Sumptuosytie, the beaste of ffamylyaritie.
1562. J. Shute, trans. Cambini’s Turk. Wars, 27. A certaine chapell whiche he had buylded with great sumptuositie.
1601. Holland, Pliny, II. 584. No man ever after him was able to match that sumptuositie of his Theatre.
1653. trans. Carmeni’s Nissena, 155. The chief Commanders … being treated with such sumptuositie as belonged unto them.
1836. New Monthly Mag., XLVIII. 46. This is displayed in an excess of sumptuosity and decoration.
1848. Thackeray, Van. Fair, xxviii. He was rather a favourite with the regiment, treating the young officers with sumptuosity.
1865. Dickens, Mut. Fr., II. xvi. A dinner on the desired scale of sumptuosity cannot be achieved.
1891. Farrar, Darkn. & Dawn, ii. 241. It was called the Golden House, and exceeded in sumptuosity every thing which the world had hitherto seen.
b. An instance of this: a sumptuous thing.
1601. Holland, Pliny, I. 168. To speake of his sumptuosities, of his largesses.
1652. Heylin, Cosmogr., Introd. 18. Alexander … found more Cities and sumptuosities in that little Kingdome of Porus … than in all his other travells.
1843. Carlyle, Past & Pr., I. vi. 47. Turn away from their lackered sumptuosities.
1856. T. A. Trollope, Girlh. Cath. de Medici, 56. These and other such sumptuosities of Rome.
