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Glite Dictionary
fetichism

fetichism

9.9
A belief that people worship an object because they think it has magic power
  • noun
  • /ˈfɛtɪˌkɪzəm/
  • Archaic
translation icon : fetichismo
  • The shrine was built as an expression of fetichism, venerating a sacred stone.

Examples

  • Some indigenous cultures have practiced fetichism as part of their spiritual traditions.

  • Many cultures engage in fetichism to connect with their ancestors.

  • Anthropologists have studied fetichism in various societies around the world.

  • Is fetichism still practiced in modern societies?

  • Anthropologists have studied fetichism in various societies around the world.

  • Some indigenous cultures have practiced fetichism as part of their spiritual traditions.

  • The shrine was built as an expression of fetichism, venerating a sacred stone.

Synonyms

idolatry
vsfetichism
9 9.0

Worship of images or objects as gods

emphasizes belief in magical power rather than treating items as gods
idol worship
vsfetichism
1 7.8

Praying to statues or pictures as if they were gods

centres on believing in objects' magical power rather than deifying them
fetishism
vsfetichism
  • Specialized
1 9.8

Belief that objects have special powers and deserve worship

is the same meaning but differs in traditional spelling
fetishization
vsfetichism
1 8.9

Giving something too much importance and ignoring its real meaning

focuses on religious belief in objects having real magical powers
iconolatry
vsfetichism
  • Specialized
9.9

Worship of religious images like pictures and statues

is broader, covering any object believed to hold magical power
iconism
vsfetichism
9.9

A practice of worshipping religious images like paintings or statues

applies more widely to objects thought to possess supernatural power
symbolatry
vsfetichism
  • Archaic
9.9

A strong respect for objects or signs that stand for ideas

is about believing objects have magical power rather than valuing symbols
symbol-worship
vsfetichism
9.9

Giving too much value to symbols instead of what they stand for

involves believing objects themselves have magical or supernatural power

Surface Forms

fetichism singular
fetichisms plural
fetichisms plural
fetichism singular

Morphology

fetichism = fetish (transparent) = fetich + ism

Formed by the noun 'fetish' (here spelled 'fetich') plus the productive suffix '-ism' denoting a belief or practice, so the meaning is directly derived.

Etymology

Fetichism comes from the Portuguese word feitiço, a 'made' object thought to hold magic, and that word comes from the Latin root facere, 'to make'. So fetichism is the belief that certain objects have 'magical power'.