noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
General-American:/ɪˈɹɑtəˌsɪzm̩/
General-American:/-ˌsɪzəm/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:ER0 AA1 T IH0 S IH2 Z AH0 M
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
the state of being erotic, or of being sexually aroused
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
sexual excitement, especially if abnormally persistent
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
a sexual interest in something; an attraction, fetish, etc.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
the arousal of feelings of sexual desire
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: erotism
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: sexual arousal
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h1rem-der. Proto-Indo-European *h1rém-e-tider.? Pre-Greekder.? Ancient Greek ἐράω (eráō) Ancient Greek ἔρως (érōs) Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Hellenic *-kos Ancient Greek -κός (-kós) Ancient Greek -ῐκός (-ĭkós) Ancient Greek ἐρωτῐκός (erōtĭkós)der. Latin erōticuslbor. French érotiqueder. English erotic Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō) Proto-Indo-European *-mos Proto-Indo-European *-mós Ancient Greek -μός (-mós) Ancient Greek -ισμός (-ismós)der. English -ism English eroticism From erotic + -ism.
Across languages
Translations
41 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Belarusian:
эро́тыка
(erótyka)
— the state of being erotic, or of being sexually aroused
Bulgarian:
еро́тика
(erótika)
— the state of being erotic, or of being sexually aroused
Catalan:
erotisme
— the state of being erotic, or of being sexually aroused
Chinese Mandarin:
性感
(xìnggǎn)
— the state of being erotic, or of being sexually aroused
Chinese Mandarin:
色情
(sèqíng)
— the state of being erotic, or of being sexually aroused
Czech:
erotika
— the state of being erotic, or of being sexually aroused
Danish:
erotik
— the state of being erotic, or of being sexually aroused
Dutch:
erotiek
— the state of being erotic, or of being sexually aroused
Finnish:
erotiikka
— the state of being erotic, or of being sexually aroused
French:
érotisme
— the state of being erotic, or of being sexually aroused
German:
Erotik
— the state of being erotic, or of being sexually aroused
Greek:
ερωτισμός
(erotismós)
— the state of being erotic, or of being sexually aroused
Hindi:
शृंगारिकता
(śŕṅgāriktā)
— the state of being erotic, or of being sexually aroused
Irish:
earótachas
— the state of being erotic, or of being sexually aroused
Irish:
anghrá
— the state of being erotic, or of being sexually aroused
Irish:
anghráchas
— the state of being erotic, or of being sexually aroused
Italian:
erotismo
— the state of being erotic, or of being sexually aroused
Japanese:
エロ
(ero)
— the state of being erotic, or of being sexually aroused
Japanese:
好色
(kōshoku)
— the state of being erotic, or of being sexually aroused
Korean:
성욕
(seong'yok)
— the state of being erotic, or of being sexually aroused
Macedonian:
еротика
(erotika)
— the state of being erotic, or of being sexually aroused
Manx:
an-ghraaghys
— the state of being erotic, or of being sexually aroused
Norman:
érotisme
— the state of being erotic, or of being sexually aroused
Norwegian Bokmål:
erotikk
— the state of being erotic, or of being sexually aroused
Norwegian Nynorsk:
erotikk
— the state of being erotic, or of being sexually aroused
Occitan:
erotisme
— the state of being erotic, or of being sexually aroused
Polish:
erotyka
— the state of being erotic, or of being sexually aroused
Polish:
erotyzm
— the state of being erotic, or of being sexually aroused
Russian:
эро́тика
(erótika)
— the state of being erotic, or of being sexually aroused
Serbo-Croatian:
еро̀тика
— the state of being erotic, or of being sexually aroused
Serbo-Croatian:
eròtika
— the state of being erotic, or of being sexually aroused
Slovak:
erotika
— the state of being erotic, or of being sexually aroused
Slovene:
erotika
— the state of being erotic, or of being sexually aroused
Spanish:
erótica
— the state of being erotic, or of being sexually aroused
Spanish:
erotismo
— the state of being erotic, or of being sexually aroused
Ukrainian:
еро́тика
(erótyka)
— the state of being erotic, or of being sexually aroused
Japanese:
エロティシズム
(erotishizumu)
— sexual excitement, especially if abnormally persistent
Korean:
에로티시즘
(erotisijeum)
— sexual excitement, especially if abnormally persistent
Polish:
erotyka
— sexual excitement, especially if abnormally persistent
Polish:
erotyzm
— sexual excitement, especially if abnormally persistent
Russian:
эроти́зм
(erotízm)
— sexual excitement, especially if abnormally persistent
