sensualism

[ sen-shoo-uh-liz-uhm ]

noun

1. subjection to sensual appetites; sensuality.
2. Philosophy. sensationalism ( def 3 ).

sensualism

/ ˈsɛnsjʊəˌlɪzəm /

noun

1. the quality or state of being sensual
2. another word for sensationalism sensationalism

Other Words From

• hyper·sensu·al·ism noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of sensualism¹

First recorded in 1795–1805; sensual + -ism

Example Sentences

Hung, a French Vietnamese filmmaker whose eye for cinematic sensualism was on display in early works like “The Scent of Green Papaya” and “Cyclo,” here achieves something of a culinary contact high.

From Los Angeles Times

What she finds is “a society that professes to be an enclave of tropical sensualism but deep down is profoundly conservative, classist, and misogynist.”

From Los Angeles Times

Mr. Serra plunges us into the earthy sensualism and longueurs of Casanova’s daily life.

From New York Times

But the film’s harsh sensualism transcends the irritations of the plot.

From The New Yorker

The question of spiritual discipline has long been present in his writing: self-denial versus sensualism, the path of Jesus versus that of Byron.

From The Guardian