zeitgeist
noun
ˈzīt-
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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
Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2026
The issue of high ticket costs and resale scalping has been a topic of discussion among state and federal leaders for years, after the matter was thrust into the zeitgeist when fans complained about ticket sales for Taylor Swift's Eras concert tour.
—Noe Padilla, USA Today, 13 May 2026
Here’s hoping that A24, Neon and other indies can hit the zeitgeist again.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 13 May 2026
The strange, perfect irony of Prada 2 What makes The Devil Wears Prada 2 genuinely unusual is that the film itself is a critique of the very promise that made the original aspirational, not just a bitter statement on the current media zeitgeist but a metaphorical meditation on Hollywood’s fate.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for zeitgeist
Cite this Entry
“Zeitgeist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zeitgeist. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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