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
Examples of fetishism in a Sentence
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Many who remembered his term in office—marked by Holocaust denial, atom-bomb fetishism, and shoving Islamic revolutionary ideology down the throats of a country already weary of it—celebrated his reported assassination.
—
Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2026
To achieve this coherence, one must be freed from all fetishism toward the past and commit to a wholly new adventure.
—Elinore Weil, Artforum, 4 Mar. 2026
The meat of the manuscript is Fedorova’s historical/sociological analysis of the elements of fetishism, also known as kink, each explored in one of 10 chapters: Leather, Latex, The Dominatrix, The Gimp, The Chaser, Feet, Medical Gloves, Cars, Monsters and The Fetish Club.
—Meredith Maran, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Like, before me, the person foot fetishism was defined by was Luis Buñuel, another film director.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fetishism
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Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2026
To achieve this coherence, one must be freed from all fetishism toward the past and commit to a wholly new adventure.
—Elinore Weil, Artforum, 4 Mar. 2026
The meat of the manuscript is Fedorova’s historical/sociological analysis of the elements of fetishism, also known as kink, each explored in one of 10 chapters: Leather, Latex, The Dominatrix, The Gimp, The Chaser, Feet, Medical Gloves, Cars, Monsters and The Fetish Club.
—Meredith Maran, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Like, before me, the person foot fetishism was defined by was Luis Buñuel, another film director.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fetishism
Cite this Entry
“Fetishism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fetishism. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
fetishism
noun
fe·tish·ism
variants
also fetichism
: the pathological displacement of erotic interest and satisfaction to a fetish
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