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Orientalism

American  
[awr-ee-en-tl-iz-uhm, ohr-] / ˌɔr iˈɛn tlˌɪz əm, ˌoʊr- /

noun

(often lowercase)
  1. a peculiarity or idiosyncrasy of the peoples of Asia, especially the East.

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

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


Orientalism British  
/ ˌɔːrɪˈɛntəˌlɪzəm /

noun

  1. knowledge of or devotion to the Orient

  2. an Oriental quality, style, or trait

"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 Orientalism

First recorded in 1760–70; oriental + -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.

As you were writing the screenplay and also working on the production, say in the design and casting, were you concerned about issues of cultural appropriation or what people would call Orientalism?

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 25, 2022

He’s this manufactured idea of Asian-ness, and part of that conversation about Orientalism is how things like tea and all these things that we have that we associate with certain cultures.

From The Verge • Mar. 9, 2022

This union, it turns out, was not the break from tradition we all anticipated; this is not a tale of patronizing Orientalism, overcome.

From New York Times • Jul. 9, 2020

The real Orientalism is how long it took for Western critics to register that “The Tale of Genji” disrupts every cliché about the “rise of the novel” that they were taught in school.

From The New Yorker • Apr. 19, 2019

They were all in holiday trim, with a strong tendency to Orientalism in the fashion of their garments. 

From A Tramp's Wallet stored by an English goldsmith during his wanderings in Germany and France by Duthie, William

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