onanism
noun
onan·ism
ˈō-nə-ˌni-zəm 
1
3
: self-gratification
the kind of intellectual onanism to which he was dedicated—
Esther P. Shiverick
Esther P. ShiverickExamples of onanism in a Sentence
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In the spring, Rolling Stone quoted her at length detailing the particular joys of onanism and her appreciation for the female body, which spiraled out across several tabloid news cycles.
—Alessandra Codinha, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2024
Writing is such a solitary art — onanism with words — that only the most perverse would want someone watching the act.
—Odie Henderson, BostonGlobe.com, 18 Jan. 2023
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Alessandra Codinha, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2024
Writing is such a solitary art — onanism with words — that only the most perverse would want someone watching the act.
—Odie Henderson, BostonGlobe.com, 18 Jan. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Onanism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/onanism. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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