zeitgeist

noun

zeit·​geist ˈtsīt-ˌgīst  ˈzīt- 

often capitalized

: 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

The film satirizes key elements of the zeitgeist, with costumes acting as signifiers for wealth and status — second skins for the main characters. —Julia Teti, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2025

Nuclear weapons are in the zeitgeist, but can culture stir public demand for real-world progress once again? —Ernest J. Moniz, Variety, 23 Oct. 2025

The Naked crooner applauded the film’s legacy and impact on the cultural zeitgeist. —Mya Abraham, VIBE.com, 22 Oct. 2025

In times of increasing cynicism and apathy in the zeitgeist, this phantasm extravaganza — at once humorously deadpan in its playful tableaus and poignantly sincere at its emotional core — feels like a breath of fresh air. —Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 21 Oct. 2025

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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