What does hedonism mean?
Hedonism is the view that pleasure is the highest or ultimate good, and the name is also used more loosely for a life organized around pleasure, luxury, and self-indulgence. In philosophy, the term covers several doctrines rather than one fixed creed: ancient thinkers such as the Cyrenaics and Epicurus defended different accounts of bodily and mental pleasure, while modern discussions often distinguish among versions based on pleasure alone and those that include lasting well-being. In everyday use, the term usually carries a mildly critical tone, suggesting excessive pursuit of sensation or immediate gratification. It can therefore describe either a serious ethical position or, pejoratively, an indulgent lifestyle. The word is useful because it connects an ordinary concern with pleasure to a long philosophical tradition examining how people ought to live.
nounHedonism is the philosophical doctrine that pleasure is the highest good. In everyday use, it can also refer to a lifestyle marked by the pursuit of pleasure, luxury, or self-indulgence.
- The philosophical doctrine that pleasure is the highest or ultimate good.
- A lifestyle characterized chiefly by the pursuit of pleasure, luxury, and self-indulgence.
"The lecture examined ancient Greek hedonism and its influence on later ethical theories."
"The seminar compared several forms of philosophical hedonism."
"Critics dismissed his life of hedonism as superficial and irresponsible."
The plural is uncommon but can distinguish different versions of the doctrine.
"Her paper contrasts several competing hedonisms."
Hedonism puts pleasure first—but philosophers have spent centuries arguing about what counts as pleasure.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does hedonism come from?
Hedonism comes through Latin from the Greek hēdonē, meaning pleasure, and entered English in the early 17th century. Ancient Greek philosophers, including the Cyrenaics and Epicurus, developed ethical positions centered on pleasure, although they disagreed substantially about its nature and proper role. Modern philosophical usage treats hedonism as a family of related theories, while words such as hedone, hedonia, and hedonic continue to share the same Greek root.
Related word forms
How hedonism is actually used
The word is formal and neutral when referring to a philosophical position, but it often has a critical or ironic tone in everyday use. It is not restricted to either British or American English.
Easily confused with hedonism
Epicureanism is the pleasure-centered philosophy associated with Epicurus, while hedonism is the broader doctrine that pleasure is the highest good.