disenchantment

English

Etymology

dis- +‎ enchantment. In the social sciences sense a calque of German Entzauberung, as used by sociologist Max Weber.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˌdɪsɪnˈtʃɑːntmənt/, /ˌdɪsɪnˈtʃæntmənt/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

Noun

disenchantment (countable and uncountable, plural disenchantments)

1. The act of disenchanting or the state of being disenchanted.
2. Freeing from false belief or illusions.

   Disenchantment with the religion led to a sharp fall in church attendance.

3. (in particular, social sciences) The devaluation of religion or mysticism apparent in modern society.
   • 2021, Meghan O'Gieblyn, chapter 11, in God, Human, Animal, Machine […] , →ISBN:

     Blumenberg's thesis, which has since been reiterated by a number of philosophers and historians, is that nominalism, as it became widespread in Protestant theology, led to the Enlightenment, disenchantment, and the scientific revolution.

Translations

The act of disenchating or the state of being disenchanted

• Czech: rozčarování n
• Dutch: onttovering f, ontgoocheling (nl) f
• Finnish: pettymyksen tuottaminen, pettyminen (fi)
• German: Entzauberung (de) f, Entzaubern n
• Swedish: avförtrollning c

Freeing from false belief or illusions

• Czech: vystřízlivění n
• Finnish: lumouksen haihtuminen
• German: Desillusionierung (de) f
• Spanish: desengaño (es) m

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• French: ^{(please verify)} désenchantement (fr) m (2)