historical materialism
noun
: the Marxist theory of history and society that holds that ideas and social institutions develop only as the superstructure of a material economic base compare dialectical materialism
Examples of historical materialism in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The people who were making it at the time had a closeness to historical materialism.
—
Nic Juarez, Vulture, 12 June 2025
Marxist concepts like class conflict and historical materialism were comparatively unfashionable, even (many thought) dangerous.
—Kate Aronoff, The New Republic, 24 Mar. 2023
So, for example, his view of historical materialism means that there’s an inevitable rise of the East and the decline of the West.
—Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 22 July 2021
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Nic Juarez, Vulture, 12 June 2025
Marxist concepts like class conflict and historical materialism were comparatively unfashionable, even (many thought) dangerous.
—Kate Aronoff, The New Republic, 24 Mar. 2023
So, for example, his view of historical materialism means that there’s an inevitable rise of the East and the decline of the West.
—Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 22 July 2021
Cite this Entry
“Historical materialism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/historical%20materialism. Accessed 26 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share