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

There were exchanges of gifts, including an icon given to Pope Leo, reflecting the King's fascination with the Orthodox Church and its images.

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A senior clinician at Alder Hey Children's Hospital agreed his "lack of empathy" combined with a "fascination with violence" and neurodiversity added up to a "really toxic mix".

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Strachan, who lives in New York, said his fascination with science and its hidden histories started while growing up as a curious and “very stubborn” kid in Nassau.

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The fascination is the harbor itself—circular, expansive and basically ruined by the time of the fourth century through a combination of earthquakes, tsunamis and rising seas.

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His fascination with physics and mathematics in his youth, combined with meaningful interactions with psychiatric patients during medical training, helped shape his approach to research and care.

Read more on Science Daily

Related Words

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