escapism

American  

[ih-skey-piz-uhm] / ɪˈskeɪ pɪz əm /

noun

1. the avoidance of reality by absorption of the mind in entertainment or in an imaginative situation, activity, etc.

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escapism British  

/ ɪˈskeɪpɪzəm /

noun

1. an inclination to or habit of retreating from unpleasant or unacceptable reality, as through diversion or fantasy

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Other Word Forms

• escapist adjective

Etymology

Origin of escapism

First recorded in 1930–35; escape + -ism

Example Sentences

"It immerses you in that fantasy," Alia says, describing it as a form of escapism.

From BBC

To counteract viewer angst about all the dark topics covered in the news about Vietnam, assassinations and more, television leaned into pure escapism for most of the mid-late Sixties.

From The Wall Street Journal

But these tales offer something more enduring than mere escapism: the faith in human dignity and virtue that conservative thinkers have called the moral imagination.

From The Wall Street Journal

Even in its most cheerful, easy moments, the show rarely felt like escapism, which is the label often slapped onto much more mindless programs today.

From Salon

If the Globes ceremony serves any purpose anymore, it is to remind viewers that movies and TV are still producing worthwhile escapism.

From Salon

Related Words

• evasion
• prevention
• restraint