What does occidentalist mean?
An occidentalist is a scholar or specialist in the history, culture, and thought of the Western world, particularly Europe and North America. The term was especially prominent in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when European intellectuals commonly divided the world into broadly defined Western and Eastern spheres. In that context, an occidentalist might study Western institutions, history, philosophy, or ideas, sometimes in explicit contrast with an orientalist, whose field concerned Asia, North Africa, and the Middle East. Although the underlying term “occidental” remains in ordinary use, “occidentalist” is now largely historical. Present-day references usually occur in discussions of intellectual history, nineteenth-century scholarship, and the conceptual construction of the West. The word is therefore useful chiefly for understanding older academic and cultural vocabulary rather than for describing a common modern profession.
nounA scholar or specialist in the history, culture, and thought of the Western world, especially Europe and North America. The term was particularly common in the 19th and early 20th centuries, often in contrast with an “orientalist.”
- A scholar or specialist in the history, culture, institutions, and thought of the Western world, especially Europe and North America.
"The Occidentalist examined how European thinkers represented the ancient world."
"Her early work drew on the writings of several European occidentalists."
"The article compares the historian's account with the broader assumptions of nineteenth-century Occidentalism."
The regular plural is used when referring to several scholars specializing in Western civilization.
"The two occidentalists disagreed over the development of European institutions."
Once the scholarly counterpart to “Orientalist,” the occidentalist helped define the West by treating it as a civilization distinct from the “East.”
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does occidentalist come from?
The word was formed in the early nineteenth century by adding the suffix “-ist” to “occidental,” a term derived from Latin through French. Its deeper root is Latin occidens, meaning “the setting sun” and by extension “the west,” from the verb occidere, “to go down or set.” The headword consequently denotes a specialist in the Western world, and it became a common counterpart to the contemporary term “orientalist.”
Related word forms
How occidentalist is actually used
The word is now uncommon outside historical and scholarly discussion. It is chiefly associated with nineteenth- and early twentieth-century European intellectual culture and can suggest an approach that treats the Western world as a unified civilization.
Easily confused with occidentalist
An occidentalist specializes in Western civilization, whereas an orientalist specializes in the cultures of Asia, North Africa, and the Middle East.