zeitgeist
noun
ˈzīt-
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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
Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 4 Sep. 2025
Outside of Hulu’s recent hit King of the Hill revival, Daniels’ work in the streaming era, with shows like Upload and Space Force, has been creatively uneven, while also failing to penetrate the zeitgeist in the way his earlier series did.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 3 Sep. 2025
Comedians and commentators skewered the government's performance—from satirical news shows to editorial cartoons, the cultural zeitgeist skewed toward outrage.
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
Since its June launch, KPop Demon Hunters has become almost inescapable from the zeitgeist, for both kids and adults.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for zeitgeist
Cite this Entry
“Zeitgeist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zeitgeist. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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