Definition of ascetic
1 : practicing strict self-denial as a measure of personal and especially spiritual discipline an ascetic monk an ascetic diet
2 : austere in appearance, manner, or attitude
ascetic
nounExplore Merriam-Webster
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Examples of ascetic in a Sentence
Patterson's collection begins on the walls of the stairway to his basement. “That's where Cindy draws the line. That's probably a real good idea,” he says. Mattsson, ascetic for a bachelor, imposes the same rule on himself. LeBeau, who has never been married, is much less restrained. —Tom Harpole, Air & Space, December 1999/January 2000
By Hollywood standards, Calley's career path may seem enigmatic, but then, so is his personality. If Mark Canton, the previous Sony president, was the boastful, Armani-clad big spender, Calley is downright ascetic, a man who disdains Hollywood profligacy. —Peter Bart, GQ, August 1997
He converted to Catholicism and, after a long period of intense self-questioning, became a Trappist monk at the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky, which, at the time, was as ascetic and demanding as any monastery of the Middle Ages. —Julius Lester, Falling Pieces of the Broken Sky, 1990
Recent Examples of ascetic from the Web
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Ms. Celmins, 78, keeps a clipping of the ascetic abstractionist Ad Reinhardt’s 12 rules for painting, one of which is to avoid form at all costs.
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But there are real monsters in Weiner’s story as well, from the ascetic and ruthless revolutionary Sergei Nechaev to the coterie of sycophants (among them Alan Greenspan) who gathered around Rand.
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His attendants at the royal palace worked hard to portray him as a Dhammaraja, or holy king, an ascetic Buddhist ruler whose sole priority was the uplift of his people.
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The apartment is furnished in a crisp, ascetic version of mid-century masculinity.
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There's no TV or radio in this ascetic retreat, and visitors will probably never see a phone or car.
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A wickedly funny sequence, set in 1978, in which Foster returns to public life, becomes both a strange and nearly ascetic vision of a public silence that speaks volumes and also acts as a framing device for a complex series of flashbacks.
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That pursuing a bachelor’s degree might be something other than a deeply ascetic and generally miserable experience was once a preposterous idea.
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And his behavior, in his last days, casts a shadow over his reputation as an ascetic.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ascetic'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
Ascetic comes from "askētikos," a Greek adjective meaning "laborious," and ultimately traces back to the Greek verb askein, which means "exercise" or "work." There aren't many other English words from "askein," but there's no dearth of synonyms for "ascetic." "Severe" and "austere," for example, are two words that share with "ascetic" the basic meaning "given to or marked by strict discipline and firm restraint." "Ascetic" implies abstention from pleasure, comfort, or self-indulgence as a spiritual discipline, whereas "severe" implies standards enforced without indulgence or laxity and may suggest harshness (as in "severe military discipline"). "Austere" stresses absence of warmth, color, or feeling and may apply to rigorous restraint, simplicity, or self-denial (as in "living an austere life in the country").
Origin and Etymology of ascetic
Greek askētikos, literally, laborious, from askētēs one that exercises, hermit, from askein to work, exercise
First Known Use: 1646
Synonym Discussion of ascetic
ASCETIC Defined for English Language Learners
ascetic
playDefinition of ascetic for English Language Learners
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: relating to or having a strict and simple way of living that avoids physical pleasure
Learn More about ascetic
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See words that rhyme with ascetic Spanish Central: Translation of ascetic Nglish: Translation of ascetic for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of ascetic for Arabic speakers
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