How to use ascetic in a sentence

16 example sentences · adjective, noun

Ascetic means of or relating to ascetics. Example: “This experience enables Nāgārjuna to recognize that desire is the root cause of suffering and motivates him to turn to a more ascetic lifestyle.”

Examples of ascetic by meaning

adjectiveCharacterized by rigorous self-denial or self-discipline; austere; abstinent; involving a withholding of physical...

This experience enables Nāgārjuna to recognize that desire is the root cause of suffering and motivates him to turn to a more ascetic lifestyle.2015, Carl Olson, Indian Asceticism: Power, Violence, and Play, page 155

nounOne who is devoted to the practice of self-denial, either through seclusion or stringent abstinence.

First, the technical terms used to signify hindu ascetics, hermits, mendicants and some related terms are analysed in their religious meaning with the view of avoiding a good deal of confusion that exists in such studies.1982, Mariasusai Dhavamony, Classical Hinduism, page 369
Female ascetics find shelter in a wide variety of establishments and vary greatly in the degree to which they travel.2004, Lynn Teskey Denton, Female Ascetics in Hinduism, page 110
The ascetics were not only concerned with abstinence from food, and much of the contemporary literature stresses sexual desire and civil ambition as other important dangers to avoid.2015, Susanne Kerner, Cynthia Chou, Morten Warmind, editors, Commensality: From Everyday Food to Feast, unnumbered page

More sentences with ascetic

Edhi lived in a humble, ascetic way, even as his charity became a multimillion-pound enterprise.2017 April 6, Samira Shackle, “On the frontline with Karachi’s ambulance drivers”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 12 Apr…. From the entry multimillion
Vegans are variously stereotyped as ascetics, faddists, sentimentalists, or in some cases, hostile extremists.2011 March, Matthew Cole, Karen Morgan, “Vegaphobia: derogatory discourses of veganism and the reproduction of speciesism in UK national…. From the entry vegaphobia
He takes me into an ascetic bedroom with a large carved bed.1978, Howard Wolf, Forgive the Father: A Memoir of Changing Generations, Washington, D.C.: New Republic Books, →ISBN, page 118. From the entry microportrait
Among ethnologists what is certainly an idiographic approach is often pursued with the most ascetic toughmindedness.1969, Mahlon Brewster Smith, Social Psychology and Human Values: Selected Essays, →ISBN, page 44. From the entry toughmindedness
Plain papered walls, ascetic chairs, a moldy piano, and a couple of usherettes seemed extremely bare.1905 September, Alan Dale, “Dramatic Flashes from London and Paris”, in Ainslee’s Magazine, volume 16, page 152. From the entry usherette
Before his death, Orwell’s acquaintances had often remarked on his ascetic temper, eccentric habits, deep nostalgia, and raw-boned, even cadaverous frame.1989, John Rodden, The Politics of Literary Reputation: The Making and Claiming of ‘St. George’ Orwell, page 122. From the entry quixotic
Unlike the ascetic idealists Emerson and Thoreau, Melville abandoned Pauline-Christian carnophobia and accepted man's body as part of his essential being.1987 July 1, Tetsumaro Hayashi, Herman Melville: research opportunities and dissertation abstracts, McFarland & Co Inc, →ISBN. From the entry carnophobia
For him, Christianity is only ascetic (‘the black, colourless shadows of monks’ on the marble of Ellada in his Julian the Apostate).2010, Aleksandr Chudakov, translated by Olga Tabachnikova and Adam Ure, “Chekhov and Merezhkovskii: Two Types of Artistic-Philosophical…. From the entry Ellada
He was a man made for the exteremes of life; from the most debauched of men he had become the most ascetic.1900 April, Willa Cather, “Eric Hermannson's Soul”, in Cosmopolitan. From the entry debauched
The same fairish curls framing a lean, ascetic face as in a photo I found on the internet; the same black cashmere pullover and white open-necked shirt.2017, JP Delaney, The Girl Before. From the entry fairish
Mao and Castro were said to be ascetics in their early guerrilla phases, though the paunches of their later years betray unrevolutionary tastes for the lush life.2009 May 17, James Dao, “No Food for Thought: The Way of the Warrior”, in New York Times. From the entry unrevolutionary
Ovid, the amatory poet, describes a professional dancing-girl, whose subtle bodily movements are such an excitant as to provoke, in an ascetic such as the ancient Hippolytus, a priapean condition.1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 85. From the entry excitant

Meaning of ascetic

adjective Of or relating to ascetics.
adjective Characterized by rigorous self-denial or self-discipline; austere; abstinent; involving a withholding of physical pleasure.
noun One who is devoted to the practice of self-denial, either through seclusion or stringent abstinence.

Full definition of ascetic

Questions about ascetic in a sentence

How do you use ascetic in a sentence?: Ascetic is used as an adjective and noun. For example: “This experience enables Nāgārjuna to recognize that desire is the root cause of suffering and motivates him to turn to a more ascetic lifestyle.”
What is a short sentence with ascetic?: “He takes me into an ascetic bedroom with a large carved bed.”
What does ascetic mean?: Ascetic means of or relating to ascetics.

Adapted from Wiktionary: ascetic (page history and authors) and the entries each sentence comes from. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws chose the sentences, left out offensive ones and quotations older than 1900, and marked the word in each. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Cite this page: “How to use ascetic in a sentence.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/sentences/ascetic. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.