as in materialist
a person who is chiefly interested in material comfort and is hostile or indifferent to art and culture
the town's philistines who think that spending on the arts is a waste of taxpayers' money
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in utilitarian
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
2
as in materialistic
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
3
as in uncultured
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of philistine
Judith Thurman, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
The Childhood of a Leader (titled after a Sartre short story), their style indicated a possible philistine route.
—Armond White, National Review, 3 Jan. 2025
In pre-Revolutionary Russia some critics derided his compositions as bourgeois work aimed at philistine audiences.
—Barrymore Laurence Scherer, WSJ, 3 Aug. 2022
There was no reason — other than bankrupt ideology and blinkered philistine pig-ignorance — not to go hog-wild with stimulus, say, $2 trillion for starters.
—Ryan Cooper, The Week, 10 Jan. 2022
Adjective
But philistine incomprehension never deterred Stein.
—Judith Thurman, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
The Childhood of a Leader (titled after a Sartre short story), their style indicated a possible philistine route.
—Armond White, National Review, 3 Jan. 2025
In pre-Revolutionary Russia some critics derided his compositions as bourgeois work aimed at philistine audiences.
—Barrymore Laurence Scherer, WSJ, 3 Aug. 2022
There was no reason — other than bankrupt ideology and blinkered philistine pig-ignorance — not to go hog-wild with stimulus, say, $2 trillion for starters.
—Ryan Cooper, The Week, 10 Jan. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for philistine
Adjective
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Off-brand hard-drive bags are utilitarian and often adjustable to fit several different models inside.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Instead of intimidating or purely utilitarian devices, companies like Yukai Engineering are creating robots that integrate into daily life and offer joy alongside practicality.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Heather is accused of hiding behind her humor, Lisa of hiding behind materialistic things, and Angie of hiding behind her sharp tongue, for example.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Far too many became trapped in a materialistic outlook where success was based on acquiring wealth.—
Jane Goodall,
Time,
12 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Just the opposite: The slipup shows how culture pervades even my uncultured moments.—
Harmon Siegel,
Artforum,
1 Oct. 2025
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In certain circles, identifying with the city is shorthand for being uncultured and self-obsessed, even soulless.—
Ella Berman
August 7,
Literary Hub,
7 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Highbrow, lowbrow, and everything in-between, Shudder’s marathon birthday party from 2025 should be remembered like an axe to the forehead.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
16 Oct. 2025
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Who says the eyebrow and the lowbrow don’t mix?—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Felix’s memoir-manifesto draws on Black radical poetic traditions to argue for the pragmatic power of poetry, and for language as a tool for liberation.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
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The winners of the Virginia and New Jersey governor’s races ran on a platform of being a little bit less divisive and trying to be more pragmatic.—
Stuart Miller,
Oc Register,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Harlan has an avaricious family, each member of which has something to gain from his death.—
Anna Russell,
New Yorker,
10 Nov. 2025
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What Netanyahu wants is not this peace deal or avaricious annexations, but to stay in power.—
Yair Rosenberg,
The Atlantic,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Atop a tower near Bryant Park, reachable by two service-elevator rides and down a concrete hallway, his temporary workspace is, apart from his own presence, pretty artless.—
Christopher Bonanos,
Curbed,
23 Dec. 2025
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Unconventional, more free, more artless, and willing to combine feeling and thoughtfulness with intellectual ability.—
Seth Doane,
CBS News,
14 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Cameron Diaz’s clever accessory is a closet staple — check out even more practical belt bags to shop at Amazon below.—
Clara McMahon,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
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The brand makes outerwear that’s luxuriously stylish, but practical, too.—
Jasmine Gomez,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Philistine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/philistine. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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