hedonism

[ heed-n-iz-uhm ]
/ ˈhid nˌɪz əm /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR hedonism ON THESAURUS.COM

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.

Origin of hedonism

1855–60; < Greek hēdon(ḗ) pleasure + -ism

Words nearby hedonism

hedjaz, hedonic, hedonic calculus, hedonic damages, hedonics, hedonism, hedonist, hedrocele, hedy, heebie-jeebies, heed
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to hedonism

indulgence, enjoyment, debauchery, gratification, pleasure, epicureanism

Example sentences from the Web for hedonism

British Dictionary definitions for hedonism

hedonism
/ (ˈhiːdəˌnɪzəm, ˈhɛd-) /

noun

ethics
  1. the doctrine that moral value can be defined in terms of pleasureSee utilitarianism
  2. 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, noun

Word Origin for hedonism

C19: from Greek hēdonē pleasure
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

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.