ascetic
adjective
as·cet·ic
| \ ə-ˈse-tik
, a-\
, a-\
variants:
or less commonly ascetical \ ə-ˈse-ti-kəl
\
\
Definition of ascetic
1
: practicing strict self-denial as a measure of personal and especially spiritual discipline
an ascetic monk an ascetic diet
2
: austere in appearance, manner, or attitude
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Other Words from ascetic
ascetic
noun
ascetically
\ -ti-k(ə-)lē
\
adverb
\
adverb
Examples of ascetic in a Sentence
Patterson's collection begins on the walls of the stairway to his basement. "That's where Cindy draws the line. That's probably a real good idea," he says. Mattsson, ascetic for a bachelor, imposes the same rule on himself. LeBeau, who has never been married, is much less restrained.
— Tom Harpole, Air & Space, December 1999/January 2000
By Hollywood standards, Calley's career path may seem enigmatic, but then, so is his personality. If Mark Canton, the previous Sony president, was the boastful, Armani-clad big spender, Calley is downright ascetic, a man who disdains Hollywood profligacy.
— Peter Bart, GQ, August 1997
He converted to Catholicism and, after a long period of intense self-questioning, became a Trappist monk at the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky, which, at the time, was as ascetic and demanding as any monastery of the Middle Ages.
— Julius Lester, Falling Pieces of the Broken Sky, 1990
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Recent Examples on the Web
Putting one on the sleek, black rectangle of your iPhone thus concocts a syrupy mélange of lithe modernism and ascetic medievalism. — Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, "I Tried to Limit My Screen Time," 5 Sep. 2019 Get our daily newsletter Kimbanguists adhere to an ascetic lifestyle. — The Economist, "Kimbanguists believe Congo’s suffering is a sign of the apocalypse," 29 Aug. 2019 Get our daily newsletter Kimbanguists adhere to an ascetic lifestyle. — The Economist, "Kimbanguists believe Congo’s suffering is a sign of the apocalypse," 31 Aug. 2019 Magazine profiles followed and established Epstein’s reputation as a stealthy yet exorbitantly successful money man with a gilded social circle and a somewhat ascetic streak. — Los Angeles Times, "Jeffrey Epstein dies by suicide; Barr orders investigation," 10 Aug. 2019 Get our daily newsletter The shift away from this ascetic stance started shortly after the election. — The Economist, "Britain’s Tories used to relish fiscal discipline. No longer," 27 July 2019 But what, besides a lifetime of ascetic eating, actually works? — Los Angeles Times, "These six things can stave off weight gain, even if your genes boost your risk of obesity," 1 Aug. 2019 The ascetic sophistication of a life-size figure of a meditating St. Francis inside a lonely cell, clutching a skull to his breast, by Francisco de Zurbarán? — Christopher Knight, latimes.com, "Review: 3 Velázquez paintings alone are reason to go, now, to this San Diego show," 26 June 2019 En route to the shrine, meet a local Shugendo priest to learn firsthand about this ascetic Buddhist sect that focuses on the connections between humans and nature, and pass under the majestic Oyunohara torii (wooden gateway). — National Geographic, "Japan: Hiking and Cultural Adventure," 12 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ascetic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for ascetic
ascetic
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of ascetic
formal
: relating to or having a strict and simple way of living that avoids physical pleasure
See the full definition for ascetic in the English Language Learners Dictionary
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