asceticism
Americannoun
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the manner of life, practices, or principles of an ascetic.
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the doctrine that a person can attain a high spiritual and moral state by practicing self-denial, self-mortification, and the like.
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rigorous self-denial; extreme abstinence; austerity.
noun
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the behaviour, discipline, or outlook of an ascetic, esp of a religious ascetic
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the principles of ascetic practices, esp in the early Christian Church
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the theory and system of ascetic practices
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of asceticism
Explanation
Asceticism is rigorous self-denial, particularly the rejection of the pleasures of the world. If you don't drink, smoke, eat sugar, see movies, use the internet, or have a cell phone, then you are already practicing a kind of asceticism. Asceticism comes from the word ascetic, which comes from Greek roots meaning monk, and practice or exercise. Historically, Asceticism was a rigorous, laborious lifestyle, involving the denial of pleasure and rest as a way of expressing spiritual devotion. Now we use asceticism as a synonym for austerity.
Vocabulary lists containing asceticism
Some Political and Philosophical -isms
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Brave New World
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Into the Wild
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
His timing was impeccable, meeting a counterculture primed to embrace ISKCON’s practices of communal living, ecstatic dancing and asceticism.
From New York Times ● May 22, 2024
There’s an asceticism to bespoke suit making that can be found in the religion as well.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2023
Fuyuko realizes that her asceticism has masked hidden hurts.
From Washington Post ● May 5, 2022
Attempting asceticism sets patients up for a phenomenon known as the abstinence violation effect, where a minor lapse turns into a huge binge, because people believe they've already blown their recovery anyway.
From Salon ● Feb. 24, 2022
Was it not what he had once wished to destroy during his ardent years of asceticism?
From "Siddhartha" by Hermann Hesse
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
