What does epicism mean?
Epicism is a relatively rare literary term denoting the quality or style of the epic: grandeur of scale, elevation of language, and heroic seriousness of treatment. When critics describe a novel, film, or poem as displaying epicism, they mean that it evokes the sweeping scope and lofty register traditionally associated with epic poetry such as the Iliad or Paradise Lost. The word can carry either praise or gentle irony — an author may achieve genuine epicism in depicting war or migration, or an unintentional epicism by describing something mundane, like a commute, in breathlessly heroic terms. Because it names a stylistic effect rather than a concrete object, epicism belongs mainly to the vocabulary of criticism and scholarship, where precision about tone matters. It derives from 'epic', which traces back through Latin to the Greek 'epos', meaning word, song, or story.
nounThe quality or style of being epic; the use of elevated, heroic language or treatment characteristic of an epic poem.
- The quality of having the grandeur, scale, or heroism characteristic of an epic poem.
- The literary technique or style of treating subject matter in an elevated, heroic manner.
"The novel's sweeping battle scenes and lofty diction give it a certain epicism."
"Critics praised the director's epicism, comparing the film's sweep to Homer himself."
"There is an unintended epicism in his account of the office move, as though relocating desks were a heroic quest."
Rarely used in the plural; the uncountable sense referring to the general quality is far more common than any countable instance.
"The essay contrasts the epicisms of Milton with those of modern fantasy writers."
Epicism is what critics reach for when a film or novel stops feeling like a story and starts feeling like a legend.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of epicism
Epicism is formed from 'epic' plus the noun-forming suffix '-ism'. 'Epic' comes from Latin 'epicus', borrowed from Greek 'epikos', which derives from 'epos' meaning word, song, or narrative poem. The suffix '-ism' entered English via French and Latin from Greek '-ismos'. The word emerged in English literary criticism, though its exact first attestation is uncertain; it remains uncommon compared with its root 'epic'. Related borrowings include 'epopee', a term for an epic poem itself.
How epicism is actually used
A rare, chiefly literary and critical term. It is most often found in reviews and scholarly criticism rather than everyday speech, and can be used approvingly (praising grandeur) or ironically (mocking inflated treatment of trivial subjects).
Easily confused with epicism
Episcopacy refers to church government by bishops, while epicism refers to the epic or heroic quality of a literary work.