masochism. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

The American Heritage^® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

masochism

SYLLABICATION:	mas·och·ism
PRONUNCIATION:	ms-kzm
NOUN:	1. The deriving of sexual gratification, or the tendency to derive sexual gratification, from being physically or emotionally abused. 2. The deriving of pleasure, or the tendency to derive pleasure, from being humiliated or mistreated, either by another or by oneself. 3. A willingness or tendency to subject oneself to unpleasant or trying experiences.
ETYMOLOGY:	After Leopold von Sacher-Masoch (1836–1895), Austrian novelist.
OTHER FORMS:	masoch·ist —NOUN masoch·istic —ADJECTIVE masoch·isti·cal·ly —ADVERB


The American Heritage^® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.