fin de siècle

[fan duh sye-kl^uh]

noun

1. the end of the 19th century.

adjective

1. Sometimes fin-de-siècle of, relating to, or characterized by concepts of art, society, etc., associated with the end of the 19th century.

fin de siècle

/ fɛ̃ də sjɛklə /

noun

1. the end of the 19th century, when traditional social, moral, and artistic values were in transition

adjective

1. of or relating to the close of the 19th century

2. decadent, esp in artistic tastes

fin de siècle

1. The end of the nineteenth century; the phrase is French for “end of the century.” Fin de siècle is particularly used to describe the period's self-conscious artistic movements and a sophisticated despair that became popular at the time. Oscar Wilde is one of the best-known fin-de-siècle figures.

Word History and Origins

Origin of fin de siècle¹

First recorded in 1885–95; from French: “end of century”; fine ¹ ( def. ), de ( def. ), secular ( def. )