exoticism

noun

ex·​ot·​i·​cism ig-ˈzä-tə-ˌsi-zəm How to pronounce exoticism (audio)
variants or less commonly exotism
: the quality or state of being exotic

Examples of exoticism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Small moments like this feel like the show is trying to address what an American audience might expect from a fish-out-of-water story without indulging the instinct to revel in the exoticism of a foreign land. Jesse Raub, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2024 His construct of a post-civilization fable conveys a weird Down Under exoticism that, since such movies as Walkabout, Outback, The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith, and The True History of the Kelly Gang is probably linked to Australia’s penal-colony inferiority complex. Armond White, National Review, 24 May 2024 Marley won a following outside Jamaica, specifically among white sophomores who were drawn to his exoticism. Armond White, National Review, 16 Feb. 2024 There’s an exoticism that’s happening on both sides. Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 4 Feb. 2024 See all Example Sentences for exoticism 

Word History

First Known Use

1774, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of exoticism was in 1774

Dictionary Entries Near exoticism

Cite this Entry

“Exoticism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exoticism. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!