erot·i·cism \]əˌsizəm\noun alsoer·o·tism\ˈerəˌtizəm\ (-s) 1.: the arousal of or the attempt to arouse sexual feeling by means of suggestion, symbolism, or allusion in an art form 2.: a state of sexual arousal or anticipation (as from stimulation of erogenous zones) 3. a.: sexual impulse or desire < the robust erotisms that stir deeply in the very autonomic nervous system of the normal individual — Weston La Barre > b.: abnormally insistent sexual passion