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

That was one of those transformative bites of food that made its way into the zeitgeist of my dining experiences. —Andre James, Charlotte Observer, 25 Feb. 2026

The spinoff came on the heels of Suits entering the zeitgeist in 2023. —Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Feb. 2026

In a restaurant zeitgeist relentlessly overshadowed by closures, by corporate overreach, by rising costs and shrinking revenue, even by despair, the light won’t be denied. —Mike Sutter, San Antonio Express-News, 25 Feb. 2026

Now, just as quickly and seemingly out of the blue, another rap song has snuck an earworm into the zeitgeist. —Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 24 Feb. 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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