# orientalism

> English word · Noun · frequency rank #61,002

## Definitions
1. The tendency to represent eastern subjects, to assume stylistical characteristics original of the East.
2. An Eastern word, expression, or custom.
3. A patronizing Western attitude towards Middle Eastern, Asian, and North African societies.

## Etymology
From French orientalisme, from oriental (“eastern, Oriental”). Equivalent to Oriental + -ism.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/orientalism