What does eschewal mean?
Eschewal is a noun referring to the deliberate and sustained avoidance or renunciation of something — whether a physical indulgence, a behavior, or an idea. It derives from the verb eschew, which entered English from Old French in the medieval period and ultimately traces back to a Germanic root connected to chewing. Eschewal carries a formal, literary register and usually connotes principled self-restraint: one speaks of the eschewal of violence, wealth, alcohol, technology, or pretension. Unlike simple avoidance, which may be casual or incidental, eschewal implies conscious choice and often moral conviction. The word is common in biographical, philosophical, and critical writing, where it characterizes a person's habits or values. Its closest synonyms include abstention, renunciation, and abstinence, though eschewal tends to emphasize the ongoing practice of keeping away from something rather than a single act of refusal. For writers seeking a dignified, precise term for disciplined avoidance, eschewal remains a valuable choice.
nounThe deliberate act or habit of abstaining from, avoiding, or shunning something, especially something regarded as undesirable, unwholesome, or improper.
- The deliberate act of avoiding or abstaining from something considered undesirable, harmful, or distasteful.
"Her lifelong eschewal of social media reflected a deep suspicion of digital noise."
"The monk's strict eschewal of worldly comforts was admired even by those who did not share his faith."
"His eschewal of jargon made him a refreshingly clear writer in a field full of impenetrable prose."
Rarely used in the plural; eschewal is almost always treated as an uncountable abstract noun describing a general practice or stance.
"The biography recounts his various eschewals of fame, fortune, and public office."
Eschewal comes from an Old French word that literally meant to 'chew away' — so when you eschew gossip, you're linguistically spitting it out.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of eschewal
Eschewal is formed from the verb eschew plus the noun-forming suffix -al. The verb comes from Middle English, borrowed from Old French eschiver (also appearing as esquiver), which itself derives from a Germanic source related to the notion of shunning; it is cognate with words like Dutch schuwen. A folk-etymological reshaping under the influence of "chew" gave the English verb its current form, though the two words are only distantly connected through Germanic roots. The noun eschewal has been in use since at least the early modern period.
Related word forms
How eschewal is actually used
Eschewal is a formal, somewhat literary word, most often found in written rather than spoken English. It typically appears with the preposition "of" and is frequently used for principled avoidance — of luxury, violence, technology, or excess — giving the sentence a tone of moral seriousness.
Easily confused with eschewal
"Eschew" is the verb meaning to avoid or abstain from, while "eschewal" is the noun naming the act or practice of doing so.