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YOUR VOCABULARY, ONE WORD AT A TIME

hedonism

Noun

IPA /ˈhedənɪzəm/

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Meaning in plain English

The belief or way of life that treats pleasure as the most important aim.

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Pronunciation

hedonism/ˈhedənɪzəm/

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  1. Someone considers how to live

  2. Pleasure becomes the main priority

Hedonism places pleasure at the centre of life's aims.

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  1. The novel contrasts a life of hedonism with one of duty.
  2. The philosophy class debated whether hedonism could guide ethical decisions.

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The novel contrasts a life of ________ with one of duty.
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hedonism — The belief or way of life that treats pleasure as the most important aim.

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The belief or way of life that treats pleasure as the most important aim.

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Word origin

From Greek hedone, meaning pleasure, with the ending -ism.

Did you know?

Hedonism is uncountable, while a hedonist is a person who puts pleasure first.

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hedonism

/ˈhedənɪzəm/ (Noun)

“The word concerns pleasure as a guiding aim. Enjoying an occasional treat does not by itself amount to hedonism.”

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