Bohemianism

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A way of life that emphasizes artistic creativity and personal freedom while often disregarding traditional societal norms and values
2. A distinctive style of living embracing artistic expression and nonconformity, often reflecting a rejection of mainstream culture and conventions
3. An unconventional lifestyle characterized by artistic pursuits and a disregard for societal expectations and norms

Etymology: Bohemianism is "Bohemian" with the suffix "-ism" attached, and the meaning it carries comes from a mistaken geography. In the medieval Latin of the 1200s-1300s, the Czech region of Bohemia was called "Boiohaemum," and in the 1800s, French writers applied "bohémien" to the gypsies, whom many believed came from there. Parisian writers and artists then used the term for the unconventional, impoverished, free-living young people of their own city, and English borrowed the sense. The English adjective "Bohemian" was first used of such people in the 19th century, and "Bohemianism" follows as the name for their way of life. The Czech region itself never shares the meaning; only the place name survives in the description of the lifestyle.

Synonyms: artistic lifestyle, nonconformity