fetishism

or fet·ich·ism

[ fet-i-shiz-uhm, fee-ti- ]

noun
  1. belief in or use of fetishes.

  2. Psychiatry. the compulsive use of some object, or part of the body, as a stimulus in the course of attaining sexual gratification, as a shoe, a lock of hair, or underclothes.

  1. blind devotion: a fetishism of sacrifice to one's children.

Origin of fetishism

1
First recorded in 1795–1805; fetish + -ism

Other words from fetishism

  • fet·ish·ist, noun
  • fet·ish·is·tic, adjective
  • fet·ish·is·ti·cal·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use fetishism in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for fetishism

fetishism

fetichism

/ (ˈfɛtɪˌʃɪzəm, ˈfiː-) /


noun
  1. a condition in which the handling of an inanimate object or a specific part of the body other than the sexual organs is a source of sexual satisfaction

  2. belief in or recourse to a fetish for magical purposes

  1. excessive attention or attachment to something

Derived forms of fetishism

  • fetishist or fetichist, noun
  • fetishistic or fetichistic, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012