mimetic desire en · NOUN
Etymology
Coined by French historian, literary critic, and philosopher of social science René Girard in 1961.
Meanings
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(countable, uncountable) A desire that is imitative, and not related to the desired object's intrinsic value, based on the idea that human desires arise from imitation and competitive behavior in groups.
Having transcended his own mimetic desires, [Peter] Thiel was now free to capitalise on those of others.
2025 May 10, Orlando Reade, “The deification of René Girard”, in FT Weekend (Life & Arts section), London: The Financial Times Ltd., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 17:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| mimetic desires | Number=Plur | lexicographic |