What does "mannerism" mean?
A noticeable personal habit, a verbal or other (often, but not necessarily unconscious) habitual behavior peculiar to an individual.
Mannerism
/ˈmænəˌɹɪzəm/ noun
noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A noticeable personal habit, a verbal or other (often, but not necessarily unconscious) habitual behavior peculiar to an individual.
- Grammar: mannerism is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: idiosyncrasy, quirk, aberration, abnormality.
- Useful contrasts: conformity, naturalism, naturalness.
- Usage evidence: Tom has a hard time hiding behind a mask because of this characteristic mannerism.
How to use "mannerism"
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- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "mannerism" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
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 "mannerism" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "mannerism" as the right word for your sentence.
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Compare nearby meanings
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "mannerism" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "idiosyncrasy" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "mannerism", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A noticeable personal habit, a verbal or other (often, but not necessarily unconscious) habitual behavior peculiar to an individual. countable, uncountable
"In the old days, to my commonplace and unobserving mind, he gave no evidences of genius whatsoever. He never read me any of his manuscripts, […], and therefore my lack of detection of his promise may in some degree be pardoned. But he had then none of the oddities and mannerisms which I hold to be inseparable from genius, and which struck my attention in after days when I came in contact with the Celebrity."
- 2 In literature, an ostentatious and unnatural style of the second half of the sixteenth century. In the contemporary criticism, described as a negation of the classicist equilibrium, pre-Baroque, and deforming expressiveness. countable, uncountable
- 3 A style of art developed at the end of the High Renaissance, characterized by the deliberate distortion and exaggeration of perspective and especially the elongation of figures. uncountable
- 4 a deliberate pretense or exaggerated display wordnet
- 5 Exaggerated or affected style in art, speech, or other behavior. countable, uncountable
"artists […] dabblingly pursuing a kind of formalist mannerism merely in the interest of careerism"
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 In fine art, a style that is inspired by previous models, aiming to reproduce subjects in an expressive language. countable, uncountable
- 7 a behavioral attribute that is distinctive and peculiar to an individual wordnet
- 8 an art style in late 16th century Europe characterized by spatial incongruity and excessive elongation of the human figures. wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"Tom has a hard time hiding behind a mask because of this characteristic mannerism."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "mannerism"?
Common synonyms include: idiosyncrasy, quirk, aberration, abnormality, affectation, affectation.
How do you use "mannerism" in a sentence?
Tom has a hard time hiding behind a mask because of this characteristic mannerism.
How do you pronounce "mannerism"?
Pronounced /ˈmænəˌɹɪzəm/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From manner + -ism.
Etymology 2
From Italian manierismo, from maniera, coined by Luigi Lanzi at the end of the 18ᵗʰ century.