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

Yet this friend group isn’t just out of step with the generational zeitgeist. —Judy Berman, Time, 1 June 2026

Off Campus premiered on May 13, capturing the zeitgeist seemingly overnight. —Kenneal Patterson, Vanity Fair, 29 May 2026

Color-blocking with sky blues and bubblegum pinks, are also in the color trend zeitgeist this season. —Kaitlin Clapinski, InStyle, 25 May 2026

All three companies tapped into a zeitgeist, but appear to have forgotten that products have to offer consumers more than a feeling of virtuousness to build an enduring business. —Phil Wahba, Fortune, 23 May 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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