A person who derives pleasure from secretly observing others, especially in intimate situations. More broadly, someone who enjoys watching rather than participating.
French 'voyeur', from 'voir' (to see) + '-eur' (agent suffix), literally meaning 'one who sees'. Entered English in the 1900s through psychology and sociology, initially as a clinical term for a specific behavioral pattern.
The term entered mainstream English through the work of sexologists in the early 20th century, but has since expanded to describe any form of vicarious observation. Reality TV and social media have created new forms of socially acceptable voyeurism that challenge traditional boundaries between private and public life.
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