fetishism

noun

fe·​tish·​ism ˈfe-ti-ˌshi-zəm 

also ˈfē-

variants or less commonly fetichism

1

: belief in or use of spiritual fetishes

2

: extravagant irrational devotion

3

: the pathological displacement of erotic interest and satisfaction to a fetish

fetishist

ˈfe-ti-shist 

also ˈfē-

noun

fetishistic

ˌfe-ti-ˈshi-stik 

also

ˌfē- 

adjective

fetishistically

ˌfe-ti-ˈshi-sti-k(ə-)lē 

also ˌfē-

adverb

Examples of fetishism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Like, before me, the person foot fetishism was defined by was Luis Buñuel, another film director. —Glenn Garner, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2025

Like, before me, the person foot fetishism was defined by was Luis Buñuel, another film director. —Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Nov. 2025

Today’s crisis of free speech in America is not the legacy of John Stuart Mill or First Amendment fetishism. —Foreign Affairs, 21 Oct. 2025

In Marx’s terminology, this is a form of capital fetishism. —Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1777, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for fetishism

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

Medical Definition

fetishism

noun

fe·​tish·​ism

variants also fetichism

-ish-ˌiz-əm 

: the pathological displacement of erotic interest and satisfaction to a fetish

fetishistic adjective

also fetichistic

ˌfet-ish-ˈis-tik also ˌfēt- 

fetishistically

-ti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb