Orientalism

[ awr-ee-en-tl-iz-uhm, ohr- ]

/ ˌɔr iˈɛn tlˌɪz əm, ˌoʊr- /

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noun (often lowercase)

a peculiarity or idiosyncrasy of the peoples of Asia, especially the East.

the character or characteristics of the peoples of Asia, especially the East.

the knowledge and study of Asian, especially Eastern languages, literature, etc.

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Origin of Orientalism

First recorded in 1760–70; oriental + -ism

OTHER WORDS FROM Orientalism

O·ri·en·tal·ist, nounan·ti-O·ri·en·tal·ism, nounan·ti-O·ri·en·tal·ist, noun, adjective

Words nearby Orientalism

Oriental cat's eye, oriental cockroach, Oriental emerald, Oriental fruit moth, Orientalia, Orientalism, Orientalize, Oriental poppy, Oriental rug, Oriental topaz, orientate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Orientalism in a sentence

The last section, “Orientalism,” is exquisite and gilded, with golden-hued floral wallpaper.
What Drives Fashion Designer Dries Van Noten|Sarah Moroz|March 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
To the study of Edward Said, her father, whose book Orientalism remains the treatise for Western misconceptions about the East.
This Week’s Hot Reads: July 29, 2013|Jessica Ferri, Damaris Colhoun|July 29, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Brad Gooch on how the ghost of Edward Said's 'Orientalism' haunts the work.
Marina Warner’s Stranger Magic Reconsiders the Arabian Nights|Brad Gooch|March 25, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Orientalism was the equivalent of an academic beach book during in the summer of 1979—a “cult bible,” says Warner.
Marina Warner’s Stranger Magic Reconsiders the Arabian Nights|Brad Gooch|March 25, 2012|DAILY BEAST

Suffused with the Slavonic spirit and its tincture of Orientalism, the importation assumed a character of its own.
Frederick Chopin as a Man and Musician|Frederick Niecks
The savagery as well as the orientalism of the Russians comes out in a curious way in their ecclesiastical architecture.
Memoirs of an American Prima Donna|Clara Louise Kellogg
One would think that the way to obtain patronage of a person would be to praise him, but this would be considered an orientalism.
As A Chinaman Saw Us|Anonymous
As a philosopher he is to be classed among the Platonists, yet with a predominance of the prevailing Orientalism.
History of the Intellectual Development of Europe, Volume I (of 2)|John William Draper
In all these views of Plotinus the tincture of Orientalism predominates; the principles and practices are altogether Indian.
History of the Intellectual Development of Europe, Volume I (of 2)|John William Draper

British Dictionary definitions for Orientalism

Orientalism

/ (ˌɔːrɪˈɛntəˌlɪzəm) /

noun

knowledge of or devotion to the Orient

an Oriental quality, style, or trait

Derived forms of Orientalism

Orientalist, nounOrientalistic, adjective

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