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

And nothing signals a brand’s place in the cultural zeitgeist quite like an Erewhon drink collaboration. — Karin Eldor, Vogue, 11 Nov. 2026

His only movie released before his death was 1955’s East of Eden, which is back in the zeitgeist following the recent release of Netflix’s limited series that also adapts John Steinbeck’s novel. — Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 10 Nov. 2026

And consequently, who is better able to hold up a mirror to a zeitgeist in which the politics of identity and grand narratives of public life have invaded the most private spaces? — Literary Hub, 6 Nov. 2026

Editors shaped the zeitgeist from the top down, and information flowed mostly one way. — Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 28 Oct. 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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