Dictionary Entry
asceticism
Part of SpeechnounPronunciation/əˈsɛt.əˌsɪz.əm/Word FrequencyUncommon (3.44)Curriculum FrequencyLess common (1)The principles and practices of an ascetic; extreme self-denial and austerity.
In a Sentence
“The monk's life of asceticism involved fasting, prayer, and simple living.”
Published Usage Examples
“The word asceticism comes from the Greek askesis which means practice, bodily exercise, and more especially, atheletic training.”
“But it stifles desire only for a greater ultimate good; it rejects that needless repression of a part of the self which we call asceticism, and an undue subordination of self to others.”
This entry also appears in ReadingWillow Year 10 word lists, so students can move between the dictionary and year-level study sets.
Origin
From Greek 'askētēs' meaning 'hermit' or 'religious devotee', related to 'askein' meaning 'to exercise'.
Common Phrases
Synonyms
Antonyms
Poetry examples for “asceticism”
Excerpts from the ReadingWillow English Library collection.
Poetry examples are still being gathered for this entry. They will appear here once matching poems are available in the library.
