asceticism: Meaning and Definition of

as•cet•i•cism

Pronunciation: (u-set'u-siz"um), [key]
— n.
  1. the manner of life, practices, or principles of an ascetic.
  2. the doctrine that a person can attain a high spiritual and moral state by practicing self-denial, self-mortification, and the like.
  3. rigorous self-denial; extreme abstinence; austerity.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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