zeitgeist
noun
ˈzīt-
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Scholars have long maintained that each era has a unique spirit, a nature or climate that sets it apart from all others. In German, such a spirit is known as Zeitgeist, from the German words Zeit, meaning "time," and Geist, meaning "spirit" or "ghost." (This same Geist, when combined with poltern, meaning "to knock," led to the English word poltergeist referring to a noisy ghost.) It is common nowadays to read about something "tapping into" or "capturing" the zeitgeist, as doing so often entails popularity or profitability in appealing to a great many people, though sometimes the zeitgeist of a particular time and place is only recognized in hindsight, either due to nostalgia or with the benefit of (one hopes) greater wisdom.
Examples of zeitgeist in a Sentence
Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 11 Oct. 2025
But Abdy recounted going last week with her daughter to a repeat screening of the Leonardo DiCaprio and Sean Penn-starrer about an ex-revolutionary group that has seemingly captured the cultural zeitgeist.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2025
His meteoric rise captures how Silicon Valley converts zeitgeist into capital—and how that, in turn, can be parlayed into influence.
—Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2025
Buttercream Yellow and Gold Designer Sarah Trop has noticed that sunny hues, such as gold and buttercream, are making a comeback in the design zeitgeist.
—Tessa Cooper, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for zeitgeist
Cite this Entry
“Zeitgeist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zeitgeist. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.
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