This noun denotes the state or experience of longing—an earnest, persistent desire for someone or something. In Romans 15:23, Paul speaks of his longing to visit the Roman Christians, a desire he has harbored for many years. It's closely related to the verb and adjective forms that express desire and yearning. The multilingual evidence shows slight variation: Spanish anhelo suggests deep yearning, French désir is more general desire, German Verlangen implies intense craving. This reflects the semantic range from simple wanting to passionate longing.