Dictionary.com

fetishism

or fet·ich·ism

[ fet-i-shiz-uhm, fee-ti- ]
/ ˈfɛt ɪˌʃɪz əm, ˈfi tɪ- /
Save This Word!

noun
belief in or use of fetishes.
Psychiatry. the compulsive use of some object, or part of the body, as a stimulus in the course of attaining sexual gratification, as a shoe, a lock of hair, or underclothes.
blind devotion: a fetishism of sacrifice to one's children.
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
Question 1 of 7
In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

Origin of fetishism

First recorded in 1795–1805; fetish + -ism

OTHER WORDS FROM fetishism

fet·ish·ist, nounfet·ish·is·tic, adjectivefet·ish·is·ti·cal·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use fetishism in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for fetishism

fetishism

fetichism

/ (ˈfɛtɪˌʃɪzəm, ˈfiː-) /

noun
a condition in which the handling of an inanimate object or a specific part of the body other than the sexual organs is a source of sexual satisfaction
belief in or recourse to a fetish for magical purposes
excessive attention or attachment to something

Derived forms of fetishism

fetishist or fetichist, nounfetishistic or fetichistic, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
FEEDBACK