1. practices of severe self-discipline and abstention from worldly pleasures, typically for religious reasons
Usage: plural form

Examples

• The monk’s various asceticisms included fasting and sleeping on hard surfaces.
• Different religious traditions practice different forms of asceticisms.
• Her asceticisms were motivated by spiritual rather than health concerns.
• The hermit’s extreme asceticisms impressed even other religious devotees.
• Medieval saints were often known for their rigorous asceticisms.
• The philosophy professor studied various forms of asceticisms across cultures.