The state or condition of being addicted to something, especially a substance, behavior, or activity.
From 'addicted' plus suffix '-ness.' Addicted comes from Latin addictus (enslaved to), from addere (to add) and dicere (to say), originally meaning 'handed over to' in Roman law.
The word 'addicted' originally meant you were legally handed over to someone as payment—Romans called addiction a form of debt slavery, which is why we still use such heavy language about addiction.
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