Did you know?
A Brief History of Fetish
When fetish first appeared in English in the early 17th century, it referred to objects (often amulets) believed by certain West Africans to have supernatural powers. During the 19th century, the word took on a broader meaning: "an object of irrational devotion or reverence." The object need not be physical: a person may have a fetish for an idea, such as an unwarranted belief that a particular economic system will solve society’s ills. By the early 20th century, fetish took on yet another meaning quite distinct from its antecedents: a sexualized desire for an object (such as a shoe) or for a body part that is not directly related to the reproductive act (such as an earlobe).
Synonyms
Examples of fetish in a Sentence
Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2024
Must even our pleasure gardens be subject to the human fetish for more?
—Manjula Martin, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024
And Nike’s fetish for dark pants continues, even though three teams — the Rockies, the Dodgers and the Orioles — have switched back to white pants for their City Connect sets.
—Tyler Kepner, The Athletic, 29 Apr. 2024
Stephen reveals the text conversation started with someone texting him about a heart condition, then immediately jumping into talking about getting into new fetishes.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fetish 
Dictionary Entries Near fetish
Cite this Entry
“Fetish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fetish. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
fetish
noun
Share