zeitgeist
noun
ˈzīt-
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
Todd Longwell, Variety, 22 Jan. 2026
In 2025, country superstar Morgan Wallen furthered his ascent into the top tier of music’s zeitgeist, continuing to cement his status as a musical powerhouse both within his genre and far beyond, hitting new career high marks both on the charts and on the road.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 21 Jan. 2026
With more than a decade at the center of the rap zeitgeist, Scott is an avatar for 2010s hip-hop.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 21 Jan. 2026
Shows a mastery of craft or taps into the sublime, feels a part of the zeitgeist, steps out of its genre, takes big risks that pay off.
—Pitchfork, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for zeitgeist
Cite this Entry
“Zeitgeist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zeitgeist. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
Copy Citation
