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onanism

American  
[oh-nuh-niz-uhm] / ˈoʊ nəˌnɪz əm /

noun

  1. withdrawal of the penis in sexual intercourse so that ejaculation takes place outside the vagina; coitus interruptus.

  2. masturbation.

  3. the gratification or satisfaction of one's own needs or desires.

    Choosing to endlessly split hairs about abstractions is little better than intellectual onanism.
onanism British  
/ ˈəʊnəˌnɪzəm /

noun

  1. another name for masturbation coitus interruptus

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of onanism

First recorded in 1720–30; after Onan, son of Judah (Genesis 38:9); see -ism

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

If there is a lesson in Flaubert’s Onanism, it can only be that the dark night of the soul is very dark indeed, and lonely to boot.

From Salon • Jun. 23, 2012

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.