What does "ascesis" mean?
self-discipline, particularly as a religious observance; asceticism.
Ascesis
/əˈsiːsɪs/ noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: self-discipline, particularly as a religious observance; asceticism.
- Grammar: ascesis is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: asceticism.
- Usage evidence: The Neo Platonic philosophy, it will now be seen, is monism, and the completion, consequently, of ancient philosophy, so far as it would reduce the totality of being to a single ultimate ground. As able, however, to find its highest principle, from which all the rest are derived, not through self-consciousness and natural rational explanation, but only through ecstasy, mystic annihilation of self, ascesis, theurgy, it is a desperate overleaping of all—and, consequently, the self-destruction of ancient—philosophy.
How to use "ascesis"
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Meaning check
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Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "ascesis" in a final draft.
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Before you rely on this definition
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Definition decision workflow
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Check whether "ascesis" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
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Definitions
Noun
- 1 self-discipline, particularly as a religious observance; asceticism. countable, uncountable
"The Neo Platonic philosophy, it will now be seen, is monism, and the completion, consequently, of ancient philosophy, so far as it would reduce the totality of being to a single ultimate ground. As able, however, to find its highest principle, from which all the rest are derived, not through self-consciousness and natural rational explanation, but only through ecstasy, mystic annihilation of self, ascesis, theurgy, it is a desperate overleaping of all—and, consequently, the self-destruction of ancient—philosophy."
- 2 rigorous self-denial and active self-restraint wordnet
- 3 The praxis or "exercise" of asceticism and self-denial of impulses or passions for the sake of piety, theosis, and connection with God. countable, specifically, uncountable
"And this we do find in the Basilican, the Byzantine, and the Romanesque architectures, each more perfect than another, and each lacking in an ever diminishing degree much of the perfect holiness of the Saint of "the most high,"—they came and passed away like different periods in the askesis of a holy soul aiming after the perfection of the spiritual life, and truly therefore they are Christian."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"The Neo Platonic philosophy, it will now be seen, is monism, and the completion, consequently, of ancient philosophy, so far as it would reduce the totality of being to a single ultimate ground. As able, however, to find its highest principle, from which all the rest are derived, not through self-consciousness and natural rational explanation, but only through ecstasy, mystic annihilation of self, ascesis, theurgy, it is a desperate overleaping of all—and, consequently, the self-destruction of ancient—philosophy."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "ascesis"?
Common synonyms include: asceticism.
How do you use "ascesis" in a sentence?
The Neo Platonic philosophy, it will now be seen, is monism, and the completion, consequently, of ancient philosophy, so far as it would reduce the totality of being to a single ultimate ground. As able, however, to find its highest principle, from which all the rest are derived, not through self-consciousness and natural rational explanation, but only through ecstasy, mystic annihilation of self, ascesis, theurgy, it is a desperate overleaping of all—and, consequently, the self-destruction of ancient—philosophy.
How do you pronounce "ascesis"?
Pronounced /əˈsiːsɪs/.
Etymology
Learned borrowing from Late Latin ascesis, or directly from its etymon, Ancient Greek ἄσκησις (áskēsis, “exercise, training”), from ἀσκέω (askéō, “to exercise, practise, train”) + -σῐς (-sĭs, suffix forming abstract nouns or nouns of action, result or process).