voyeurism
noun
voy·eur·ism
vwä-ˈyər-ˌi-zəm 
vȯi-ˈər-
vȯi-ˈər-
: the desires or behavior of a voyeur: such as
a
: the practice of obtaining sexual gratification from observing others
Psychiatrists generally divide paraphilias into two groups: those focused on objects, like a foot fetish, and those focused on behaviors, like exhibitionism, voyeurism or frottage …—
Benedict Carey
Benedict CareyWard, if he was guilty of anything at all, was guilty of observation. Looking, or (if you will) leering and ogling are not normally considered indictable offenses in British courts of law, but they do shade over into voyeurism …—Paul Thomas
Paul Thomas
also
: the criminal act of surreptitiously viewing a person without their consent in a place where the person has a reasonable expectation of privacy (such as a home or public bathroom) or of using a device (such as a camera) for the purpose of such viewing
A 21-year-old man has been charged with voyeurism for allegedly using his phone's camera to view the person using the restroom in the stall next to him in a dorm on the Notre Dame campus, according to court records. —Melissa Hudson
Melissa Hudson
b
: the practice of taking pleasure in observing something private, sordid, or scandalous
Now there's a volume for those who are … bored by the salacious voyeurism of tell-alls.—Steven M. Zeitchik
Steven M. ZeitchikVoyeurism allows us to experience all the excitement of disaster, catastrophe, and pain, to witness the most horrible human events, without any danger of feeling real pain.—Gerald Mast
Gerald MastBut the voice of the diarist … will always exert a fascination close to voyeurism.—Rosellen Brown
Rosellen BrownExamples of voyeurism in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The latest: 35-year-old Kamal Bola of the department’s southwest district faces voyeurism and child molestation charges.
—Brittany Carloni, The Indianapolis Star, 20 Jan. 2025
Additionally, voyeurism and other exploitative journalism practices of eco-war/genocide tourism is commonly overlooked in The Congo.
—Akilah Sailers, Essence, 19 Dec. 2024
In most states, and on the federal level, video voyeurism is a misdemeanor, punishable by no more than a year behind bars.
—Isabelle Chapman, CNN, 9 July 2024
Sliver has lots of voyeurism and Tom Berenger being a total grease ball.
—Jordan Crucchiola, Vulture, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for voyeurism
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Brittany Carloni, The Indianapolis Star, 20 Jan. 2025
Additionally, voyeurism and other exploitative journalism practices of eco-war/genocide tourism is commonly overlooked in The Congo.
—Akilah Sailers, Essence, 19 Dec. 2024
In most states, and on the federal level, video voyeurism is a misdemeanor, punishable by no more than a year behind bars.
—Isabelle Chapman, CNN, 9 July 2024
Sliver has lots of voyeurism and Tom Berenger being a total grease ball.
—Jordan Crucchiola, Vulture, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for voyeurism
Cite this Entry
“Voyeurism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/voyeurism. Accessed 18 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share