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

As a former hockey player, what’s your reaction to seeing the sport enter the pop culture zeitgeist with recent shows like Heated Rivalry and Off Campus? — Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2026

Not only would the ’70s see a precipitous rise of in the number of Hollywood sequels, but any film that managed to cut through the zeitgeist gave birth to handfuls of quick, formulaic, often cheaply made, copycats. — Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 14 Aug. 2026

Everyone knows the show’s core characters — 10-year-old best friends Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormick — but key to the show’s success is its seemingly endless capacity to satirize the zeitgeist. — Damon Wise, Deadline, 13 Aug. 2026

The latest slang to capture the Gen Z zeitgeist is a way to say poser, try-hard or fraud. — Rachel Hale, USA Today, 10 Aug. 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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