exoticism

2 7.6

Something that is unusual and interesting because it comes from a distant place or culture

noun
/ɪɡˈzɑːtɪˌsɪzəm/

: exoticismo

Tourists arriving from the 1920s furthered the romantic image of the island, of sensual women, authentic artists, and exoticism.

As a mixed race Asian American, I I took pride in the exoticism of those exotic of those lineages.

Examples

Stories set in England and Europe lent a touch of exoticism to the popular tales of premature death and burial, and bolstered their credibility.

Academic text (2014)
The Robber Bride plays out a number of tensions, including exoticism and orientalism, currently being articulated by postcolonial theorists.

Academic text (2005)
We also realized that there is exoticism, romanticism about the Balkan from the outside.
More interesting elaborations on this theme note an interest in exoticism, or in a search for anomaly.

Academic text (1994)
From exotic cuisine to ethnic music, tourism, and web-surfing, the exoticism seems to have great market value.

Academic text (2014)
Even in the late ‘40s and early ‘50s, Howard Hughes was a name surrounded by exoticism.

The Conqueror: Hollywood Fallout (2024)
The exoticism of the cultural festival attracted many tourists from around the world.
People are often drawn to the exoticism of foreign cuisines that offer unique flavors.
Her paintings reflect the exoticism of distant lands, featuring vibrant colors and unusual subjects.

Synonyms

novelty

vsexoticism

52 4.7

Something new or different that seems interesting

is about difference that specifically arises from foreign cultural origins

weirdness

vsexoticism

37 4.6

Being very strange or unusual in a way that attracts attention

ties that attention specifically to foreign cultural difference rather than oddity

strangeness

vsexoticism

14 5.5

The feeling that something is unusual or hard to explain

is the same unfamiliarity but tied to foreign cultural origin

peculiarity

vsexoticism

13 6.1

An unusual feature that makes someone or something different

emphasizes that the distinguishing feature often comes from distant cultures

otherness

vsexoticism

Jargon

6 8.0

Being seen as different from most people or from what is usual

specifically ties that difference to distant cultures and striking appeal

distinctiveness

vsexoticism

4 6.0

A quality that makes someone or something stand out from others

connects that distinct trait to striking foreign cultural qualities

oddness

vsexoticism

4 5.8

A state of being unusual or strange in a way that is hard to explain

is less about oddity and more about foreign cultural distinctiveness

foreignness

vsexoticism

1 6.8

A feeling that something is new and not familiar

adds striking interest and cultural distance to that foreign quality

oddity

vsexoticism

1 5.9

An unusual habit, quality, or way of thinking

is broader, focusing on striking foreign cultural appeal rather than a trait

bizarreness

vsexoticism

1 6.9

A state of being very strange or unusual that surprises people

focuses more on appealing foreign origin and cultural interest than oddness

alterity

vsexoticism

Formal

1 9.9

A state of being different from others, often in culture or identity

links that cultural difference to interest and striking foreign origins

alienness

vsexoticism

1 8.1

A feeling of being strange or not belonging

stresses unusual appeal that specifically comes from distant cultures

distinctness

vsexoticism

1 5.6

Being clearly different from others

is more about noticeable foreign cultural origins and vivid interest

unusualness

vsexoticism

1 6.9

How different or rare something is compared with what people expect

specifies that the uncommonness often comes from distant cultural sources

differentness

vsexoticism

1 6.3

The fact that two things are not the same

narrows that general difference to unusual foreign cultural appeal

extraordinariness

vsexoticism

1 7.7

The quality of being very unusual and making someone or something stand out

adds the sense that the remarkability comes from distant cultural sources

outlandishness

vsexoticism

1 8.4

Being very unusual in appearance, ideas, or behavior

is similar but usually highlights cultural distance rather than just flashiness

exoticness

vsexoticism

1 7.4

A quality that makes something seem unusual and interesting because it comes from far away

is the broader idea of unusual foreign origin and cultural interest

uncommonness

vsexoticism

1 8.3

Being rare or not often seen

adds a sense of foreign origin and striking cultural interest to rarity

alienism

vsexoticism

Archaic

9.9

The feeling of being foreign or different from others

focuses more on attractiveness and cultural distance as the cause

Antonyms

commonality

30 4.6

A quality that people or things share

mundanity

1 7.2

A state of being ordinary and not interesting

How Exotic

exoticism

2 7.6

otherness

Jargon

6 8.0

novelty

52 4.7

familiarity

32 2.9

Surface Forms

exoticism singular

exoticisms plural

Morphology

exoticism = exotic (transparent) = exotic + ism

Standard nominalization with '-ism' forming the quality or state of being 'exotic', so the meaning is directly derived from 'exotic'.

Etymology

The word exoticism comes from the prefix exo-, meaning 'outside', just like in external and exit, and it points to things that come from far away or other cultures. So exoticism is the quality of being foreign, unusual, or exciting because it feels 'outside' your normal world.