hedonism

American  

[heed-n-iz-uhm] / ˈhid nˌɪz əm /

noun

1. the doctrine that pleasure or happiness is the highest good.

2. devotion to pleasure as a way of life.

   The later Roman emperors were notorious for their hedonism.

   Synonyms:

   carousal, dissipation, debauchery, libertinism, sensualism

   Antonyms:

   self-denial, abstemious, asceticism, puritanism

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hedonism British  

/ ˈhɛd-, ˈhiːdəˌnɪzəm /

noun

1. ethics

   1. the doctrine that moral value can be defined in terms of pleasure See utilitarianism

   2. the doctrine that the pursuit of pleasure is the highest good

2. the pursuit of pleasure as a matter of principle

3. indulgence in sensual pleasures

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hedonism Cultural  

1. 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.

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Other Word Forms

• hedonist
  noun
• hedonic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of hedonism

First recorded in 1855–60; from Greek hēdonḗ “pleasure, enjoyment” + -ism

Explanation

Strictly speaking, hedonism is the belief that pursuing pleasure leads to the greatest ethical good. In practice, though, the ethical part sometimes gets lost in the pleasure part. Hedonism originally hails from the Greek word hedone, meaning "pleasure." In Ancient Greece, hedonism really did have an ethical component, and its adherents really believed that society would be best served if you as an individual cultivated those things that gave you the greatest pleasure, instead of the self-denial inherent in other philosophies and religions. Over time the philosophical aspect of hedonism has faded and we are left an idea that looks to us very much like, well, Las Vegas.

Example Sentences

He now runs an award-winning wine shop in London's Mayfair, called Hedonism Wines, as well as a Michelin-starred restaurant, called Hide.

From BBC • Jul. 8, 2025

Hedonism a philosophical approach to moral theory based on the idea that pleasure dictates what is good and pain dictates what is bad.

From Textbooks • Jun. 15, 2022

Hedonism cut with a little bleakness seemed an interesting mix.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2018

Hedonism was in full sway and political correctness in its infancy.

From New York Times • Sep. 24, 2015

Hedonism appears as the sequel to naturalism; or, more rarely, as part of a theistic system whose morality is divine legislation enforced by an appeal to motives of pleasure and pain.

From The Approach to Philosophy by Perry, Ralph Barton