zeitgeist

noun

zeit·​geist ˈtsīt-ˌgīst  ˈzīt- 

variants often Zeitgeist

: the general intellectual, moral, and cultural climate of an era

Did you know?

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

His songs perfectly captured the zeitgeist of 1960s America.

Recent Examples on the Web

Barrel-leg jeans came into the zeitgeist just a few years ago as a funky denim trend with questionable longevity. —Andrea Bossi, Refinery29, 29 Jan. 2026

Throughout the election season, this was mostly a matter of fitting in with the zeitgeist, maybe dropping the occasional R-word at parties. —Julia Black, Vanity Fair, 29 Jan. 2026

There was just something in the zeitgeist for R&B groups to start learning from some of the rock and roll ethos. —Peter Larsen, Oc Register, 28 Jan. 2026

For the most part, Nikki Glaser was plugged into the zeitgeist with her Golden Globe Awards monologue earlier this month. —Todd Longwell, Variety, 22 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

German, from Zeit + Geist spirit

First Known Use

1835, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for zeitgeist

• enticed
• sufficed
• antichrist
• overpriced
• poltergeist
• sacrificed
• diced
• feist
• heist
• iced
• lysed
• priced

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