What does occident mean?
The occident means the western world, especially Europe and the Americas viewed as a shared cultural or civilizational region. Today it is chiefly literary, historical, or explicitly comparative, and it may carry an implication of looking at the West as a unified and sometimes dominant bloc. The word is more commonly encountered in fixed or stylized expressions such as “the Occident” and in contrasts between the Orient and the Occident. In older writing, it could also designate a particular western territory relative to another region. The term is uncommon in everyday conversation, and its capitalized use often signals a historical, cultural, or geopolitical frame. Its unusual form and literal association with the setting sun make it especially memorable, while its dated associations make it less suitable for neutral contemporary prose.
nounThe western world or the countries and peoples considered collectively as lying to the west of a given region, especially Europe or the speaker's own region. The term is now chiefly encountered in literary, historical, or explicitly comparative contexts.
- The western world, especially Europe and the Americas, considered as a cultural or geopolitical whole.
- A western region or territory, particularly in historical and comparative descriptions.
"Nineteenth-century writers often imagined a dialogue between the industrial West and the traditional East."
"The museum's collection reflects artistic traditions from across the Occident."
"In the early twentieth century, several intellectuals sharply criticized the industrial societies of the West."
Usually uncountable in its standard collective sense, with “the Occident” treated as a singular name for the western world. The plural is rare and chiefly occurs in older or more explicitly partitive usage.
"Travelers from different occidents exchanged ideas at the gathering."
The occident literally points toward the setting sun: its Latin root means “the west” and originally referred to the region where the sun sets.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does occident come from?
The word comes through French from Latin occident, the present participle of occidere, a verb meaning “to go down” or “set.” Applied to the sun, the word referred to the direction in which it sets and hence came to denote the west. Its English use expanded from the western direction to the western world, with the comparative pairing of Orient and Occident becoming especially prominent in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century writing.
Related word forms
How occident is actually used
The word is uncommon in ordinary modern English and may sound deliberately literary, old-fashioned, or politically framed. It is often capitalized when it names the Western world as a cultural or civilizational grouping. The usual North American pronunciation begins with /ɑː/ rather than /ɒ/.
Easily confused with occident
An accident is an unforeseen event, whereas the occident denotes the western world or a western region.