mannerism

American  

[man-uh-riz-uhm] / ˈmæn əˌrɪz əm /

noun

• mannerisms
  plural

1. a habitual or characteristic manner, mode, or way of doing something; distinctive quality or style, as in behavior or speech.

   He has an annoying mannerism of tapping his fingers while he talks. They copied his literary mannerisms but always lacked his ebullience.

2. marked or excessive adherence to an unusual or a particular manner, especially if affected.

   Natural courtesy is a world apart from snobbish mannerism.

3. (usually initial capital letter) a style in the fine arts developed principally in Europe during the 16th century, chiefly characterized by a complex perspectival system, elongation of forms, strained gestures or poses of figures, and intense, often strident color.

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mannerism British  

/ ˈmænəˌrɪzəm /

noun

1. a distinctive and individual gesture or trait; idiosyncrasy

2. (often capital) a principally Italian movement in art and architecture between the High Renaissance and Baroque periods (1520–1600) that sought to represent an ideal of beauty rather than natural images of it, using characteristic distortion and exaggeration of human proportions, perspective, etc

3. adherence to a distinctive or affected manner, esp in art or literature

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• mannerist
  noun
• manneristic
  adjective
• nonmanneristic
  adjective
• semimanneristic
  adjective
• manneristically
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• mannerisms
  plural

Etymology

Origin of mannerism

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

Explanation

Does someone you know always shrug in a particular way or say "You know what I mean?" at the end of every sentence? Well, that's a mannerism, a habitual gesture or way of speaking. Generally, we don't use then term mannerism as a critical term for our friends' behavior, but when applied as a term of art criticism, it can be a negative thing. If a critic talks about a writer's mannerisms, for example, it's probably intended as an insult — suggesting they're writing in a lazy or clichéd way. However, Mannerism, with a capital "M," refers to a specific 16th-century Italian style of painting known for its artificial (as opposed to naturalistic) effects.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mannerism mannerisms

So much attention is on their similarities in their swings and other mannerism, but the needle and the trash talking is not to be overlooked.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 16, 2023

He’d become a meticulous student of all things Elvis to prepare for the role, poring over archival performances and interviews to get the King’s every move and mannerism down pat.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 27, 2022

The flamboyant late Renaissance style of art known in English as mannerism has gone out of fashion more than once.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 28, 2022

More than 850 people worked on recreating Abba "in their prime" using motion capture technology to scan "every mannerism and every motion" of the musicians, who are now in their 70s, as they performed.

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2021

He shrugged, a funny little one-shouldered shrug, a mannerism he and his sister had in common.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

She pays attention to how the actor’s mannerisms change when they are in action — how they walk, which foot they lean on and other subconscious physical gestures.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

He resembles the Finder icon on Apple computers, but with a tiny stature and goofy mannerisms.

From Barron's ● Apr. 10, 2026

In “The Unknown,” he portrays not only Elliott but all the people he interacts with, and differentiates them crisply with convincing accents but without costume changes or flashy mannerisms.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 13, 2026

She has Nina’s mannerisms detailed down to their minutia.

From Salon ● Jan. 31, 2026

Of course Rosy knew of Linus’ success but saw no obvious reason to ape his mannerisms.

From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson

Related Words

• eccentricity
• idiosyncrasy
• quirk
• trait