fascination

[fas-uh-ney-shuhn]

noun

1. the power or action of fascinating. fascinating.

2. the state or an instance of being fascinated.

   They watched in fascination.

3. a fascinating fascinating quality; powerful attraction; charm.

   the fascination of foreign travel.

4. Cards.,  a form of solitaire.

Word History and Origins

Origin of fascination¹

1595–1605; < Latin fascinātiōn- (stem of fascinātiō ) a bewitching. See fascinate, -ion

Example Sentences

The killing last December in Manhattan of a healthcare industry executive turned suspected gunman Luigi Mangione into an object of public fascination, with some applauding the act of vigilantism.

From Los Angeles Times

One party insider sighed and spoke of Lord Mandelson's fascination with power and money.

From BBC

It’s a work of pageantry, inspired in part by Hull’s fascination with medieval morality plays, specifically the story of “Everyman,” an examination of self and of our relationship to a higher power.

From Los Angeles Times

This fashion-leaning fascination, she says, is a part of her heritage.

From Los Angeles Times

Slash has a deep fascination with Universal Studios, made clear by his knowledge of how the park’s backlot tram trek — officially designated as the World-Famous Studio Tour — has shifted over the years.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• allure 
• attraction 
• charm 
• enchantment 
• magic 
• obsession