Definition of exhibitionism
1a : a perversion in which sexual gratification is obtained from the indecent exposure of one's genitals (as to a stranger)b : an act of such exposure
2 : the act or practice of behaving so as to attract attention to oneself
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Recent Examples of exhibitionism from the Web
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Quattlebaum briefly attended both the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Parsons School of Design, and his videos and stage shows maintain an art-school exhibitionism.
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Novogratz conveys Spike’s proclivity for exhibitionism and incessant yet shallow sunniness, and Keri Hellmuth aptly portrays Sonia and Vanya’s sometimes precognitive cleaning woman, aptly named Cassandra, as a comically eccentric misfit.
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As distress and distaste swirl around issues of privacy, exhibitionism and other occupational hazards of social media, a select few holdouts of the tech-savvy age are following Ms. Moshfegh’s example.
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Steve Quake’s genomic exhibitionism wasn’t sufficient to convince the genomics community of the value of Helicos’ cumbersome, high-error sequencing platform, and the company’s financial fortunes have since largely stagnated.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'exhibitionism.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of exhibitionism
1891
EXHIBITIONISM Defined for English Language Learners
exhibitionism
playDefinition of exhibitionism for English Language Learners
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: behavior that is meant to attract attention to yourself
Medical Dictionary
exhibitionism
playMedical Definition of exhibitionism
1a: a perversion marked by a tendency to indecent exposureb: an act of such exposure
2: the act or practice of behaving so as to attract attention to oneself
Learn More about exhibitionism
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See words that rhyme with exhibitionism Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about exhibitionism
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