zeitgeist

noun

zeit·​geist ˈtsīt-ˌgīst  ˈzīt- 

often capitalized

: 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

Both groups tend to target something in the zeitgeist, but unlike hate-watchers, anti-fans tend to construct something new out of their annoyance or contempt. —Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 2 Mar. 2025

The stars aligned for actual plays to rise in the 2010s, owed to a zeitgeist where geek became chic. —Eric Francisco, Rolling Stone, 1 Mar. 2025

Since its debut, the sci-fi series has become part of the cultural zeitgeist, hooking viewers and inspiring dozens of think pieces about workplace culture and work-life balance. —Saba Hamedy, NBC News, 21 Feb. 2025

In the post-Cold War zeitgeist of the 1990s, this resulted in Russia's inclusion in the International Space Station program. —Ars Technica, 21 Feb. 2025

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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