escapism

noun

es·​cap·​ism i-ˈskā-ˌpi-zəm 

: habitual diversion of the mind to purely imaginative activity or entertainment as an escape from reality or routine

The movie is pure escapism.

escapist

i-ˈskā-pist 

adjective or noun

Examples of escapism in a Sentence

Reading romantic novels is for her a form of escapism.

Recent Examples on the Web

These airport-novel adaptations are about escapism at their core. — Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 19 July 2026

Populist theatrics, divorced from the prosaic work of consensus-building and problem-solving, degenerate into political escapism. — Will Marshall, Washington Post, 18 July 2026

Suspended white speakers and hidden subwoofers now deliver concert-hall immediacy even to dollar seats, creating an immersive grandeur that raises fresh questions about technology, escapism and live music. — Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2026

These books show the ways Black children use imagination as more than a form of escapism or fanciful thinking. — Brooke Harris Garad, The Conversation, 14 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1933, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for escapism

• autism
• fascism
• racism
• sikhism
• sophism
• statism
• sufism
• thomism
• tourism
• tropism
• abolitionism
• aldosteronism

Kids Definition

escapism

noun

es·​cap·​ism is-ˈkā-ˌpiz-əm 

: a habit of thinking or a form of entertainment about purely imaginary or amusing things that provides an escape from reality or everyday matters

escapist

-pəst 

adjective or noun

Medical Definition

escapism

noun

es·​cap·​ism is-ˈkā-ˌpiz-əm 

: habitual diversion of the mind to purely imaginative activity or entertainment as an escape from reality or routine

escapist

-pəst 

adjective or noun