asceticism

Definition of asceticismnext

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of asceticism Upon his election, Bergoglio took the name Francis after Saint Francis of Assisi, who was known for his asceticism and ministry to the poor. Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 23 Apr. 2025 The bout of asceticism didn’t deter her from finishing a quarter of the album, however. Arimeta Diop, Vulture, 24 Jan. 2025 Louise tells tales of drunkenness, asceticism, death. Hervé Guibert, Harper's Magazine, 2 Nov. 2024 And, for a population just one generation removed from near-universal poverty, Western celebrations of India’s mystical asceticism hold little appeal. Peter Martin, Foreign Affairs, 15 Apr. 2015 See All Example Sentences for asceticism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for asceticism
Noun
  • Propaganda was the art that conveyed—through emotions and even spirituality, not intellect—the all-encompassing ideology that ruled one’s life.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Apr. 2026
  • Thank goodness women support each other in our spirituality.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 25 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Egyptian officials also unveiled the discovery of an ancient monastery dating back to the dawn of Christian monasticism.
    Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • There's a sort of a natural world religiousness or spirituality or philosophy that swells around a lot of things and different characters.
    Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 6 Jan. 2026
  • Key measures of religiousness have remained remarkably stable since 2020, according to recent Pew Research Center polling.
    Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025
Noun
  • Others limit prayer to God alone and emphasize remembering saints primarily as historical models of holiness.
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Mar. 2026
  • Even adversaries in the Arab world have never sunk to attacking the holiness of the Western Wall.
    Steven Burg, Sun Sentinel, 23 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • This pair of novellas is about a middle-aged woman, the heroine’s sister, who comes to Tokyo intent on obtaining breast implants and a protagonist contemplating artificial insemination in a culture that doubts the procedure’s morality.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Apr. 2026
  • One that imposes a particular morality or one that imposes civil order?
    Charles F. Miller, Hartford Courant, 21 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • In the years following Wallace’s death, this aura of saintliness likely derived from the combination of his moral seriousness as a fiction writer—his attunement to the heroism of private suffering and emotional endurance—and the fact of his premature end.
    Hermione Hoby, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • The massive redevelopment of Pimlico is the centerpiece of a broader push to reinvigorate the sanctity of the second jewel in Baltimore and to invest in the Park Heights community.
    Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 14 Apr. 2026
  • The question of women’s participation is framed not as administrative policy, but as a threat to the sanctity of Torah itself, as though women seeking to be tested on halacha must first overcome a presumption of unworthiness.
    Rabba Sara Hurwitz, Sun Sentinel, 31 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Locating the wreck connects us to their sacrifice and reminds us that devotion to duty endures.
    Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026
  • Their language — marked by rich, tactile detail and a colloquial urgency — has quietly shaped how generations of songwriters articulate devotion.
    New York Times, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Asceticism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/asceticism. Accessed 2 May. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on asceticism

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster