Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The tendency to escape from daily reality or routine by indulging in daydreaming, fantasy, or entertainment.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun An inclination to escape from routine or reality into fantasy
  • noun A genre of book, film etc. that one uses to indulge this tendency

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun an inclination to retreat from unpleasant realities through diversion or fantasy

Etymologies

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Examples

  • OK, call it escapism from the reality of what was happening in Massachusetts, if you must.

    Chris Weigant: The "Let Obama Be Obama" Moment Chris Weigant 2010

  • The term escapism is defined as activities that are designed to remove people from the unhappiness ... ndash; conscious or unconscious ... ndash; of daily life to the point where they are trying to escape from life itself.

    PART II - Systemic Caribbean Dependency 2007

  • Of course, this kind of escapism is not meant to be a replacement of real action, and many could claim that it is useless.

    Archive 2007-08-01 2007

  • To me, 'escapism' is akin to a 'popcorn' flick, something that doesn't take a lot of effort to enjoy.

    Summer SF Escapism 2007

  • Of course, this kind of escapism is not meant to be a replacement of real action, and many could claim that it is useless.

    The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon 2007

  • Sweeping them all away as escapism is simply an active ignorance of the thematic drift, which will be different in each work according to what it is in the world that each work is attaching the wonder to.

    Bukiet on Brooklyn Books Hal Duncan 2009

  • In terms of the overall market, people read sf/f at least partially for a sense of escapism, for something different than their everyday world, and that need for escapism is even stronger during a difficult market.

    MIND MELD: How will Science Fiction Weather the Recession? 2008

  • On the other hand, when times are tough escapism is always profitable ...

    MIND MELD: How will Science Fiction Weather the Recession? 2008

  • In terms of the overall market, people read sf/f at least partially for a sense of escapism, for something different than their everyday world, and that need for escapism is even stronger during a difficult market.

    December 2008 2008

  • Lastly, and I'm wincing in anticipation of thrown vegetables for revealing my, hmm, teenage ardency for bad, bad escapism, is Magic Kingdom for Sale -- Sold! by Terry Brooks:

    Books I actually like with bad cover art... pabba 2008

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