What does orientalism mean?
Orientalism is a formal term with two closely related meanings. In an older academic sense, it denotes the study of Asian languages, histories, religions, and cultures, especially the field historically known as Oriental studies. In its influential modern critical sense, associated especially with Edward Said's 1978 book Orientalism, it refers to the ways Western scholarship, literature, art, and institutions represent Asia and other eastern regions through ideas of difference, exoticism, authority, and power. The term can therefore name a body of knowledge or the broader discourse and attitudes Said sought to examine. Because the vocabulary and geopolitical assumptions of “the Orient” have changed over time, contemporary scholars often discuss Orientalism in relation to colonialism, postcolonial theory, and representation. In ordinary use, it is uncommon and usually carries an academic or critical register. It is also occasionally used more broadly for exoticized portrayals of non-Western places and peoples, though that usage must be handled carefully because it may reproduce the generalization it describes.
nounOrientalism is the academic study of Asian languages, histories, religions, and cultures. In its influential critical sense, it refers to Western representations of Asia and other eastern regions as exotic, inferior, or fundamentally different.
- The academic field concerned with the languages, histories, religions, and cultures of Asia and related regions.
- The discourse, attitudes, and practices through which Western societies represent Asia and other eastern regions as exotic, inferior, or fundamentally different.
"The exhibition was widely criticized for its exoticized treatment of orientalism."
"Her course examines orientalism in nineteenth-century European art."
"Critics argued that the novel perpetuated orientalism by presenting its setting as exotic and irrational."
Rare; normally used when referring to distinct varieties, instances, or manifestations of orientalism.
"Her lecture compared different forms of orientalism in European painting."
Edward Said's 1978 book Orientalism made the word a lens for asking who gets to describe the East—and why.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does orientalism come from?
Orientalism appeared in English in the early 19th century, combining the older word oriental with the suffix -ism. The adjective oriental came through French from Latin orientalis, meaning “eastern” or “of the east,” while orientalist and orientalize belong to the same word family. The modern critical meaning developed much later, principally through Edward Said's analysis of Orientalism published in 1978.
Related word forms
How orientalism is actually used
The word is primarily formal and academic. It is commonly capitalized when referring to Edward Said's framework or to the general historical discourse, although lowercase is also used. Because it often identifies generalized portrayals of non-Western peoples and places, it should be used analytically and with attention to the historical language it examines.
Easily confused with orientalism
An orientalist is a scholar or specialist who studies Asian languages, cultures, or histories, whereas orientalism is the field of study or the broader body of representations and attitudes being examined.