hedonism
[ heed-n-iz-uhm ]
/ ˈhid nˌɪz əm /
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noun
the doctrine that pleasure or happiness is the highest good.
devotion to pleasure as a way of life: The later Roman emperors were notorious for their hedonism.
SYNONYMS FOR hedonism
ANTONYMS FOR hedonism
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Origin of hedonism
First recorded in 1855–60; from Greek hēdonḗ “pleasure, enjoyment” + -ism
Words nearby hedonism
Hedjaz, hedonic, hedonic calculus, hedonic damages, hedonics, hedonism, hedonist, -hedral, hedrocele, -hedron, Hedy
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for hedonism
British Dictionary definitions for hedonism
hedonism
/ (ˈhiːdəˌnɪzəm, ˈhɛd-) /
noun
ethics
- the doctrine that moral value can be defined in terms of pleasureSee utilitarianism
- the doctrine that the pursuit of pleasure is the highest good
the pursuit of pleasure as a matter of principle
indulgence in sensual pleasures
Derived forms of hedonism
hedonic or hedonistic, adjectivehedonist, nounWord Origin for hedonism
C19: from Greek hēdonē pleasure
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Cultural definitions for hedonism
hedonism
[ (heed-n-iz-uhm) ]
In ethics, the doctrine that pleasure or happiness is the highest good in life. Some hedonists, such as the Epicureans, have insisted that pleasure of the entire mind, not just pleasure of the senses, is this highest good.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.