Meanings
nounfetishism (countable and uncountable, plural fetishisms)
plural fetishisms · alternative archaic fetichism
- countableuncountableThe belief that natural objects have supernatural powers, or that something created by people has power over people.
As for ethics, they are a product of the fetishism of class society and will vanish with it. The proletariat has no need of ethics, and the norms of behaviour that it creates in its own interest are technical in character.
1978 [1976], Leszek Kołakowski, translated by P[aul] S[teven] Falla, Main Currents of Marxism, volume III: The Breakdown, Oxford: Clarendon Press, translation of Główne nurty marksizmu: rozkład (in Polish), →ISBN, →OCLC, page 60 - countableuncountableA form of paraphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body.
That's cross-dressing to you and me and, according to Blanchard and the APA, there are two types – fetishism and autogynephilia.
2012 December 9, Paris Lees, “Transgender people get a status update”, in The Guardian - countableuncountableAn irrational, obsessive belief in the power of some object or action.
Synonyms & antonyms
nouna belief in the magical power of fetishes (or the worship of a fetish)
Similar
Broader
nounsexual arousal or gratification resulting from handling a fetish (or a specific part of the body other than the sexual organs)
Similar
Broader
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁-
- Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁k-
- Proto-Indo-European*dʰh₁kyéti
- Proto-Italic*θakjō
- Proto-Italic*fakjō
- Latinfaciō
- Latinfactus
- Latinfactīcius
- Portuguesefeitiço
- Frenchfétiche
- Englishfetish
- Englishfetishism
Translations
Basque fetitxismo, fetitxismo
- fetitxismobelief that natural objects have supernatural powers
- fetitxismoparaphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body
Catalan fetitxisme, fetitxisme
- fetitxismebelief that natural objects have supernatural powers
- fetitxismeparaphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body
Chinese Mandarin 偶像崇拜, 拜物教
- 偶像崇拜 (ǒuxiàng chóngbài)belief that natural objects have supernatural powers
- 拜物教 (bàiwùjiào)paraphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body
- 拜物主義 /拜物主义 (bàiwùzhǔyì)paraphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body
- 戀物癖 /恋物癖 (liànwùpǐ)paraphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body
Czech fetišismus
- fetišismusparaphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body
Dutch fetisjisme
- fetisjismeparaphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body
Esperanto fetiĉismo
- fetiĉismoparaphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body
Finnish fetisismi, fetisismi
- fetisismibelief that natural objects have supernatural powers
- fetisismiparaphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body
French fétichisme, fétichisme
- fétichismebelief that natural objects have supernatural powers
- fétichismeparaphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body
German Fetischismus
- Fetischismusparaphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body
Greek φετιχισμός
- φετιχισμός (fetichismós)paraphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body
Hindi वस्तुरति
- वस्तुरति (vasturti)paraphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body
Hungarian fetisizmus
- fetisizmusparaphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body
Italian feticismo, feticismo
- feticismobelief that natural objects have supernatural powers
- feticismoparaphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body
Japanese フェティシズム, フェチ
- フェティシズム (fetishizumu)paraphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body
- フェチ (fechi)paraphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body
Korean 페티시즘
- 페티시즘 (petisijeum)paraphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body
Polish fetyszyzm
- fetyszyzmparaphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body
Portuguese fetichismo
- fetichismoparaphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body
Romanian fetișism
- fetișismparaphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body
Russian фетиши́зм
- фетиши́зм (fetišízm)paraphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body
Spanish fetichismo, fetichismo
- fetichismobelief that natural objects have supernatural powers
- fetichismoparaphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body
Swedish fetischism, fetischism
- fetischismbelief that natural objects have supernatural powers
- fetischismparaphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body
Cite this entry
APA
fetishism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fetishism
MLA
“fetishism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fetishism. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “fetishism,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fetishism.
Source: fetishism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.