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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in utilitarian
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in materialistic
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in uncultured
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of philistine
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
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
-
The full skirt and tailored jacket were a repudiation of the war's utilitarian styles and an embrace of extravagance. 20 of 20 Nicole Scherzinger Newly minted Tony nominee Nicole Scherzinger brought Old Hollywood glamour and drama to the carpet with her tailored and bedazzled pinstripe gown.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
EW.com,
6 May 2025
-
Once a cluster of utilitarian grain silos, the farm structures have been imaginatively reimagined as an eco-friendly and design-forward country residence that remains firmly rooted in its utilitarian past.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
6 May 2025
Adjective
-
From a purely materialistic point of view, becoming a parent means transitioning into an existence crammed with a mind-boggling amount of stuff—stuff to acquire, assemble and incorporate into your (increasingly hectic) daily routine.—
Darryn King,
Forbes.com,
6 May 2025
-
Here’s a radical thought: Maybe their ruthlessly materialistic older brother, Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger), will take a cue from Piper and embrace a new way to live.—
Noel Murray,
New York Times,
6 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
For their part, the Russians considered the Mizrahim—indeed, most Israelis—loud, uncultured boors.—
Judith Shulevitz,
The Atlantic,
5 Oct. 2024
-
Inserting two distinct forms of the gene into clusters of uncultured cells, the team discovered that the form of NOVA1 found in H. neanderthalensis created bumpier blobs of brain tissue when cultured, while the form of NOVA1 found in H. sapiens created smooth, spherical clumps.—
Sam Walters,
Discover Magazine,
1 Mar. 2023
Adjective
-
Governance, therefore, needs a pragmatic approach tailored to organizational size, maturity and industry.—
Omar Turner,
Forbes.com,
13 May 2025
-
This is a pragmatic time to do it, as canceling the programs after Artemis III saves NASA billions of dollars in upgrading the rocket for a singular purpose: assembling a Lunar Gateway of questionable use.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
13 May 2025
Adjective
-
The comedy-drama follows a Gen Z content creator who returns to her ancestral home seeking viral material, only to encounter her deceased brother’s ghost while dealing with avaricious relatives.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
14 Apr. 2025
-
This nation state, my home, is built on a quagmire of lies sold to the young as truths; sold to the insecure as truths; sold by the avaricious, the power-hungry, the conceited, the overwhelmingly white and male.—
Christine Winter,
Artforum,
1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
While no single moment led to Housewives breaking away from lowbrow connotations to widespread acclaim, everyone can agree that RHOA played a crucial part in the evolution.—
Ile-Ife Okantah,
Vulture,
28 Apr. 2025
-
There are few modern actors as purely watchable as Walton Goggins, a performer who is capable of both relishing in lowbrow material and elevating it with effortless charm.—
Daniel Dockery,
Vulture,
6 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Banijay has been among the most acquisitive independent TV makers of recent years, and now reportedly has its sights on ITV.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
27 Apr. 2025
-
But throughout his seemingly acquisitive run, Lowry has surely brought innovative art to the institution.—
Rachel Corbett,
Vulture,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
First adapted for the screen by Otto Preminger in 1958, the film starred David Niven and Jean Seberg, forever conflating the author in the public imagination with the artless allure — and iconic haircut — of Ms. Seberg.—
Sadie Stein,
New York Times,
14 May 2025
-
All that’s there is an artless effort to provoke outrage — Tony Hinchcliffe with the world’s strongest Boston accent.—
Joe Berkowitz,
Vulture,
10 Nov. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Philistine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/philistine. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share