hedonism
noun
Donald Armstrong
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The Modern Definition of Hedonism
When hedonism first appeared in English in the middle of the 19th century, it referred to the doctrines of certain schools of philosophy in ancient Greece (such as the Epicureans and Cyrenaics), who held that happiness or pleasure constituted the chief goal in life. As used today, the word frequently carries a judgmental tinge. If someone is described as living a life of hedonism, the implication is that he or she derives happiness from debauchery rather than, say, spending quality time with family or forming meaningful relationships at work. Hedonism comes from the Greek hēdonē (“pleasure”), which also provides the root of the word anhedonia (“a psychological condition characterized by inability to experience pleasure in normally pleasurable acts”).
Examples of hedonism in a Sentence
Christina Newland, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2025
Dwarfing like a royal Turkish palace along the glittering shores of Belek—Regnum The Crown is a utopia of hedonism and millennial chic.
—Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
The creativity and hedonism of late-’60s and early-’70s L.A. come to life as one woman strives for fame, the other respect and each fights through turmoil to embrace her identity.
Georgia, adopted into a wealthy southern family, is imprisoned in a psych ward, accused of murdering her sister.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, People.com, 3 Aug. 2025
Participants responded to versions of the Portrait Values Questionnaire, created by social psychologist Shalom Schwartz, to assess 10 core human values: universalism, benevolence, conformity, tradition, security, self-direction, stimulation, hedonism, achievement and power.
—Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 19 July 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Hedonism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hedonism. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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hedonism
noun
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