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as·cet·i·cism

(ə-sĕtĭ-sĭz′əm)

1. The principles and practices of an ascetic; extreme self-denial and austerity.

2. The doctrine that the ascetic life releases the soul from bondage to the body and permits union with the divine.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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