zeitgeist
noun
zeit·geist
ˈtsīt-ˌgīst 
ˈzīt-
ˈzīt-
often capitalized
: the general intellectual, moral, and cultural climate of an era
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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 other epochs. In German, such a spirit is known as Zeitgeist, from the German words Zeit, meaning "time," and Geist, meaning "spirit" or "ghost."
Examples of zeitgeist in a Sentence
His songs perfectly captured the zeitgeist of 1960s America.
Recent Examples on the Web
Hi-Fi Rush was critically lauded but failed to meet nebulous sales goals, while Starfield was a financial success, but couldn’t quite capture the zeitgeist like Bethesda’s legacy titles Skyrim (2011) or Fallout 4 (2015).
—
Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 10 Dec. 2024
Pantone's Color of the Year is meant to capture the zeitgeist, said Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Color Institute.
—Emma Bowman, NPR, 5 Dec. 2024
With celebrity endorsements from pro athletes like David Beckham to music icons like Pharrell and Bad Bunny, Adidas has cemented itself firmly in the current zeitgeist.
—Molly Higgins, WIRED, 4 Dec. 2024
Frankenstein is back in the zeitgeist in a big way thanks to Poor Things and Lisa Frankenstein, as well as your show and upcoming movies from Guillermo del Toro and Maggie Gyllenhaal.
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for zeitgeist 
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Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 10 Dec. 2024
Pantone's Color of the Year is meant to capture the zeitgeist, said Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Color Institute.
—Emma Bowman, NPR, 5 Dec. 2024
With celebrity endorsements from pro athletes like David Beckham to music icons like Pharrell and Bad Bunny, Adidas has cemented itself firmly in the current zeitgeist.
—Molly Higgins, WIRED, 4 Dec. 2024
Frankenstein is back in the zeitgeist in a big way thanks to Poor Things and Lisa Frankenstein, as well as your show and upcoming movies from Guillermo del Toro and Maggie Gyllenhaal.
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for zeitgeist
Dictionary Entries Near zeitgeist
Cite this Entry
“Zeitgeist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zeitgeist. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.
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