fetishism

noun

fe·​tish·​ism ˈfe-ti-ˌshi-zəm How to pronounce fetishism (audio)
 also  ˈfē-
variants or less commonly fetichism
1
: belief in magical fetishes
2
: extravagant irrational devotion
3
: the pathological displacement of erotic interest and satisfaction to a fetish
fetishist
ˈfe-ti-shist How to pronounce fetishism (audio)
 also  ˈfē-
noun
fetishistic adjective
fetishistically adverb

Examples of fetishism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
There were video game plushies, Bratz shirts, Minecraft totems, along with some Southern fetishism like cowboy boots and half-unbuttoned flannels. Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 25 June 2025 What differed this time around was how Rousteing’s take on showiness relied strongly on organic form, animal print, and fetishism than its usual out-there irreverence. Julian Randall, Essence, 6 Mar. 2025 Blink Twice nods at a tangle of different contemporary ailments: lifestyle fetishism, wellness hedonism, our obscene fealty to stolid tech bros and their untrammeled wealth. Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 6 Dec. 2024 The transgressive tingle of such sentences has dulled a little over time; the contemporary reader may find their strident fetishism more than a touch distasteful. Giles Harvey, The New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2024 See All Example Sentences for fetishism

Word History

First Known Use

1777, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fetishism was in 1777

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Cite this Entry

“Fetishism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fetishism. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.

Medical Definition

fetishism

noun
fe·​tish·​ism
variants also fetichism
: the pathological displacement of erotic interest and satisfaction to a fetish
fetishistic adjective
fetishistically adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on fetishism

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