Epicureanism
//ˌɛpɪˈkju(ə)ɹiənɪzəm// noun
noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The philosophical belief that pleasure is the highest good, particularly as advocated by Epicurus with a focus on mental pleasures and on avoidance of pain (ataraxia) through moderation and common virtue. uncountable, usually
- 2 Alternative letter-case form of Epicureanism (general pursuit of pleasure). alt-of, uncountable
- 3 a doctrine of hedonism that was defended by several ancient Greek philosophers wordnet
- 4 Synonym of hedonism, general pursuit of pleasure, particularly refined and knowledgeable enjoyment of good food, drink, and similar sensual pleasures. proscribed, sometimes, uncountable, usually
- 5 Synonym of atheism. obsolete, uncountable, usually
Etymology
From Epicurean + -ism. As a pejorative synonym of atheism, both from the philosophy's rejection of deontological morality and from Epicurus's specific belief that the Greek gods—if they did exist—did not concern themselves at all with mankind, its actions, or any system of reward or punishment for them. Doublet of epicurism.
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.