MANNERISM

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does mannerism mean? 

• MANNERISM (noun)
  The noun MANNERISM has 2 senses:

1. a behavioral attribute that is distinctive and peculiar to an individual

2. a deliberate pretense or exaggerated display

  Familiarity information: MANNERISM used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• MANNERISM (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A behavioral attribute that is distinctive and peculiar to an individual

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

foible; idiosyncrasy; mannerism

Hypernyms ("mannerism" is a kind of...):

distinctiveness; peculiarity; speciality; specialness; specialty (a distinguishing trait)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A deliberate pretense or exaggerated display

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

affectation; affectedness; mannerism; pose

Hypernyms ("mannerism" is a kind of...):

feigning; pretence; pretending; pretense; simulation (the act of giving a false appearance)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "mannerism"):

attitude (a theatrical pose created for effect)

radical chic (an affectation of radical left-wing views and the fashionable dress and lifestyle that goes with them)

 Context examples 

I have no doubt at all that a family mannerism can be traced in these two specimens of writing.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I was surprised, and joyfully, that she was so much the woman, and the display of each trait and mannerism that was characteristically feminine gave me keener joy.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

A subtype of schizophrenia characterized by disorganized speech, disorganized behavior, and a flat or inappropriate affect; associated features include grimacing, mannerisms, and other oddities of behavior.

(Disorganized Type Schizophrenia, NCI Thesaurus)

Other symptoms include: • Trouble reading social cues and recognizing other people's feelings • Having strange movements or mannerisms • Problems with motor skills • Avoiding eye contact • Having rituals • Being sensitive to certain lights, sounds, textures, or tastes

(Asperger Syndrome, NIH: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)

He drew up lists of effective and fetching mannerisms, till out of many such, culled from many writers, he was able to induce the general principle of mannerism, and, thus equipped, to cast about for new and original ones of his own, and to weigh and measure and appraise them properly.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

A type of schizophrenia characterized by frequent incoherence; marked loosening of associations, or grossly disorganized behavior and flat or grossly inappropriate affect that does not meet the criteria for the catatonic type; associated features include extreme social withdrawal, grimacing, mannerisms, mirror gazing, inappropriate giggling, and other odd behavior.

(Disorganized Type Schizophrenia, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)