escapism
noun/ɪˈskeɪpɪzəm/
Etymology From escape + -ism.
1
An inclination to escape from routine or reality into fantasy.
- “If you look at literature on why people watch reality TV, that’s one of the main reasons: escapism,” said Danielle J. Lindemann, the author of “True Story: What Reality TV Says About Us.”2025 July 7, Sadiba Hasan, quoting Danielle J. Lindemann, “Why Is Everyone Watching ‘Love Island USA’?”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC:
2
A genre of book, film etc. that one uses to indulge this tendency.
3
The performance of an escape artist.
- Related terms
- escapist, escapology, escapistic, displacement activity, distraction, diversion