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
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CMU ARPABET:F EH1 T IH0 SH IH2 Z AH0 M
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The belief that natural objects have supernatural powers, or that something created by people has power over people.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A form of paraphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
An irrational, obsessive belief in the power of some object or action.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
sexual arousal or gratification resulting from handling a fetish (or a specific part of the body other than the sexual organs)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: fetichism
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: paraphilia
5
noun
Meaning 5
a belief in the magical power of fetishes (or the worship of a fetish)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: fetichism
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: belief
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dheh1- Proto-Indo-European *dheh1k- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *dhh1kyéti Proto-Italic *θakjō Proto-Italic *fakjō Latin faciō Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Italic *-tos Latin -tus Latin factus Proto-Indo-European *-ikos Proto-Italic *-ikos Latin -īcus Proto-Indo-European *-(i)yós Proto-Italic *-ijos Proto-Italic *-ios Old Latin -ios Latin -ius Latin -īcius Latin factīcius Portuguese feitiçobor. French fétichebor. English fetish 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 fetishism From fetish + -ism.
Across languages
Translations
35 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Basque:
fetitxismo
— belief that natural objects have supernatural powers
Catalan:
fetitxisme
— belief that natural objects have supernatural powers
Chinese Mandarin:
偶像崇拜
(ǒuxiàng chóngbài)
— belief that natural objects have supernatural powers
Finnish:
fetisismi
— belief that natural objects have supernatural powers
French:
fétichisme
— belief that natural objects have supernatural powers
Italian:
feticismo
— belief that natural objects have supernatural powers
Spanish:
fetichismo
— belief that natural objects have supernatural powers
Swedish:
fetischism
— belief that natural objects have supernatural powers
Basque:
fetitxismo
— paraphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body
Catalan:
fetitxisme
— paraphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body
Chinese Mandarin:
拜物教
(bàiwùjiào)
— paraphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body
Chinese Mandarin:
拜物主義 /拜物主义
(bàiwùzhǔyì)
— paraphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body
Chinese Mandarin:
戀物癖 /恋物癖
(liànwùpǐ)
— paraphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body
Czech:
fetišismus
— paraphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body
Dutch:
fetisjisme
— paraphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body
Esperanto:
fetiĉismo
— paraphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body
Finnish:
fetisismi
— paraphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body
French:
fétichisme
— paraphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body
German:
Fetischismus
— paraphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body
Greek:
φετιχισμός
(fetichismós)
— paraphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body
Hindi:
वस्तुरति
(vasturti)
— paraphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body
Hungarian:
fetisizmus
— paraphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body
Italian:
feticismo
— paraphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body
Japanese:
フェティシズム
(fetishizumu)
— paraphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body
Japanese:
フェチ
(fechi)
— paraphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body
Kazakh:
фетишизм
(fetişizm)
— paraphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body
Korean:
페티시즘
(petisijeum)
— paraphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body
Occitan:
fetichisme
— paraphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body
Polish:
fetyszyzm
— paraphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body
Portuguese:
fetichismo
— paraphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body
Romanian:
fetișism
— paraphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body
Russian:
фетиши́зм
(fetišízm)
— paraphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body
Serbo-Croatian:
fetišizam
— paraphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body
Spanish:
fetichismo
— paraphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body
Swedish:
fetischism
— paraphilia where the object of attraction is an inanimate object or a part of a person's body
