fin de siècle

American  

[fan duh sye-kl^uh] / fɛ̃ də ˈsyɛ klə /

noun

1. the end of the 19th century.

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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 British  

/ fɛ̃ də sjɛklə /

noun

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

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adjective

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

2. decadent, esp in artistic tastes

fin de siècle Cultural  

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.

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Etymology

Origin of fin de siècle

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

Example Sentences

The catalog begins with fin de siècle Europe, when the emergence of mass publishing began to lead to a firmer distinction between subordinate illustrators and visionary fine artists.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025

Some historians speculated that the 19th century’s fin de siècle might actually have been lassitude caused by sequelae of the Russian flu.

From New York Times • Feb. 14, 2022

If peaches were touted as a cure for Georgia’s “sorry, washed-out anemic gullied hillsides” at the fin de siècle, than kudzu was seen as the panacea after the Great Depression.

From Slate • Aug. 28, 2021

His only appearance with the company was in 2017, conducting an oddball new production of “La Bohème” that launched Puccini’s fin de siècle Parisian bohemians as astronauts into outer space.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2021

In all other respects the fin de siècle desperado was unique.

From Stingaree by Hornung, E. W. (Ernest William)