fetish

noun

fe·​tish ˈfe-tish 

also

ˈfē- 

variants or less commonly fetich

1

a

: an object (such as a small stone carving of an animal) believed to have magical power to protect or aid its owner

broadly : a material object regarded with superstitious or extravagant trust or reverence

b

: an object of irrational reverence or obsessive devotion : prepossession

c

: an object or bodily part whose real or fantasied presence is psychologically necessary for sexual gratification and that is an object of fixation to the extent that it may interfere with complete sexual expression

2

: fixation

3

: a rite or cult of fetish worshippers

Did you know?

A Brief History of Fetish

When fetish first appeared in English in the early 17th century, it referred to objects (often amulets) believed by certain West Africans to have supernatural powers. During the 19th century, the word took on a broader meaning: "an object of irrational devotion or reverence." The object need not be physical: a person may have a fetish for an idea, such as an unwarranted belief that a particular economic system will solve society’s ills. By the early 20th century, fetish took on yet another meaning quite distinct from its antecedents: a sexualized desire for an object (such as a shoe) or for a body part that is not directly related to the reproductive act (such as an earlobe).

Synonyms

• fixation
• idée fixe
• mania
• obsession
• preoccupation
• prepossession

Examples of fetish in a Sentence

He has a fetish for secrecy.

He wore a fetish to ward off evil spirits.

Recent Examples on the Web

At Gagosian, the fetish for discretion is so strong that the gallery’s staffers are sometimes left in the dark about transactions. —Patrick Radden Keefe, The New Yorker, 24 July 2023

But the movie also points out that these products have become a save-the-world fetish for tech companies. —Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 1 Sep. 2023

This fetish for reality has become a keystone of Cruise’s persona, to the extent that many of his public appearances now take place in flying vehicles. —Seyward Darby, Longreads, 21 July 2023

This is important — Miko is pretty sure Ben has a fetish for white blond women (and has some computer browser history evidence to back it up). —Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 3 Aug. 2023

Their confusion reveals their true objection to modern life: their fetish for homogeneity. —Becca Rothfeld, Washington Post, 28 July 2023

Other women soon joined with their own allegations on social media, creating a flurry of viral headlines, including accusations of cannibalistic and BDSM fetishes that women said were used as a smokescreen for emotional and physical abuse. —Elizabeth Wagmeister, Variety, 31 May 2023

Boundary fetish: a moment between inside and outside. —Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 4 May 2023

All the fetishes of the emerging teenage culture of ready consumption appear in the mind’s eye: car radios, bright milkshakes, sizzling burgers, blaring jukeboxes. —Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 4 May 2023

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Word History

Etymology

French & Portuguese; French fétiche, from Portuguese feitiço, from feitiço artificial, false, from Latin facticius factitious

First Known Use

1613, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

fetish

noun

fe·​tish

variants also fetich

ˈfet-ish 

 also  ˈfēt-

1

: an object (as an idol or image) believed to have supernatural or magical powers

2

: an object of unreasonable devotion or concern

fetishism

-ˌiz-əm

noun

Medical Definition

fetish

noun

fe·​tish

variants also fetich

ˈfet-ish also ˈfēt-

: an object or bodily part whose real or fantasized presence is psychologically necessary for sexual gratification and that is an object of fixation to the extent that it may interfere with complete sexual expression