"of or relating to pleasure," also, "of or having to do with the Cyrenaic school of philosophy," 1650s, from Greek hēdonikos "pleasurable," from hēdone "pleasure" (see hedonist).
Entries linking to hedonic
hedonist n.
1806, in reference to the Cyrenaic school of philosophy that deals with the ethics of pleasure; with -ist + Greek hēdone "pleasure, delight, enjoyment; a pleasure, a delight," which is related to hēdys "sweet" and cognate with Latin suavis, from PIE *swad-ona, suffixed form of root *swad- "sweet, pleasant" (see sweet (adj.)). Meaning "one who regards pleasure as the chief goal of life" is from 1854. A hedonist is properly the follower of any ethical system in which some sort of pleasure ranks as the highest good. The Epicurean identifies this pleasure with the practice of virtue.
hedonics n.
"branch of ethics which treats of the doctrines of pleasure," 1865, from hedonic; also see -ics.
hedonistic adj.
1849, from hedonist + -ic. The earlier adjectival form was hedonic. By 1901 in psychology, "of the nature of pleasure-seeking."