hedonic

adjective

he·​don·​ic hi-ˈdä-nik How to pronounce hedonic (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or characterized by pleasure
2
: of, relating to, or characterized by hedonism
hedonically adverb

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Food habituation/dishabituation has been observed in non-human primates in neurophysiological investigations of feeding, and in humans, through salivation or hedonic responses to food. Ncbi Rofl, Discover Magazine, 16 Apr. 2013 Obsessing over wealth is like being on a hedonic treadmill – continuously running to stay in the same emotional place. Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 25 May 2010 The odorous effluents were assigned 34 characteristic odors in three hedonic categories (neutral, pleasant and unpleasant). Ncbi Rofl, Discover Magazine, 19 Oct. 2012 Herlihy suggests that breaking up Live Nation could unleash market forces to fix the hedonic horror. Peter Cohan, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2022 Some scientists hope that a better understanding of the hedonic aspects of food choice can help in battling the obesity epidemic. Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 6 Aug. 2019 The hedonic treadmill, also called human adaptation, is the natural tendency for humans to return to a baseline level of happiness regardless of our circumstances. Paco De Leon, refinery29.com, 7 Dec. 2022 The caffeinated group also were more likely to choose high-hedonic products. Lisa Ward, WSJ, 9 Sep. 2022 The hedonic concept dates back to the ancient Greek philosopher Aristippus of Cyrene, who argued that the ultimate goal of life ought to be to maximize pleasure. Gregory Grieve, The Conversation, 19 May 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hedonic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

First Known Use

1656, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hedonic was in 1656

Dictionary Entries Near hedonic

Cite this Entry

“Hedonic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hedonic. Accessed 20 Mar. 2023.

Medical Definition

hedonic

adjective
he·​don·​ic hi-ˈdän-ik How to pronounce hedonic (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or characterized by pleasure
2
: of, relating to, or characteristic of hedonism or hedonists
hedonically adverb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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