fin-de-siecle
UK[ˌfæ̃ də ˈsje-klə]US[ˌfæn də sjɛkl]
adj
Relating to or characteristic of the end of a century, especially the 19th century, often with connotations of decadence and sophisticated weariness.
n
The end of a century, particularly the 19th century, viewed as a distinctive period with its own cultural atmosphere.
Morpheme Breakdown
fin
de
siecle
fin
end
de
of
siecle
century
Etymology
The term is a direct loan from French, where it literally means "end of the century." It was adopted into English in the late 19th century to describe the distinctive cultural mood—marked by a blend of aestheticism, ennui, and a sense of impending transition—that characterized the closing years of the 1800s, particularly in Paris. The logic is transparently literal in its French components, but in English usage, it became a specialized term evoking the specific artistic and social decadence of that era. Its persistence in the language allows it to be applied metaphorically to the closing phase of any century or epoch perceived as culturally decadent or exhausted.
Analysis
Structure: fin (end) + de (of) + siecle (century)
- fin: From French, from Latin finis (end, boundary). Functions as the core noun meaning "end".
- de: From French, from Latin de (of, from). Functions as a preposition indicating possession or relation.
- siecle: From French, from Latin saeculum (generation, age, century). Functions as the noun object, meaning "century".
Examples
The novel captures the fin-de-siecle atmosphere of Paris with its depictions of bohemian artists and fading aristocracy.
Critics described the exhibition's themes as distinctly fin-de-siecle, preoccupied with beauty and decay.
There is a fin-de-siecle feeling to our current era, a sense that an old order is passing away.