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

While there’s a lot of heat that could light up this category, Thomas’ ability to simultaneously capture the zeitgeist, reinvest fans in the genre, reel in new ones, and reinvigorate the sound is pretty one-of-one here. —Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 2 Oct. 2025

An annual spectacle to refute our constant erasure, whether intended or committed in ignorance, from the zeitgeist. —Rodney Carmichael, NPR, 1 Oct. 2025

The show, and Bailey himself, earned a place in the zeitgeist. —Olivia-Anne Cleary, Time, 30 Sep. 2025

This year, Nader, 28, has been the queen of the culture, popping up in nearly every news story like the Forrest Gump of the zeitgeist. —Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 25 Sep. 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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