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
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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
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Recent Examples of philistine
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
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
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While some critics find Brutalism’s heavy look and utilitarian use of materials like concrete, brick and glass harsh – even ugly – there is a beautiful intent behind them.—
Michael Allen,
The Conversation,
27 Feb. 2025
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This iteration of the Defender was a rather utilitarian vehicle, but Charles’s example does have a couple of creature comforts thrown in.—
Bryan Hood,
Robb Report,
25 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Those impossible beauty standards, the constant self-doubt, unhealthy coping mechanisms, and materialistic desires are some of the other examples of what people say goodbye to in their thirties.—
Yaakov Katz,
Newsweek,
12 Jan. 2025
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In his view, the fact that routine materialistic calculations make such an outcome unlikely is unimportant, because divine providence will bring it about.—
Akbar Ganji,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Aug. 2013
Adjective
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For their part, the Russians considered the Mizrahim—indeed, most Israelis—loud, uncultured boors.—
Judith Shulevitz,
The Atlantic,
5 Oct. 2024
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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
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Such a pragmatic view would not undermine American or Western principles and lead to a more durable peace agreement that does not compromise our values.—
Saleem H. Ali,
Forbes,
1 Mar. 2025
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Woody Harrelson co-stars as Lemons’ mentor, Duncan Allcock, while Simu Liu plays their pragmatic colleague Dave Yuasa.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA TODAY,
1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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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
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Pearce plays Van Buren as hungry and avaricious even in his kinder moments, a man of immense wealth whose primary desire is to own more and more.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The song is a cheeky touch, but also a nod to Daryle’s milieu: a lowbrow America of swamp tours, chain motels, and motorcycle shops.—
Jeremy Lybarger,
Artforum,
1 Feb. 2025
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What Should the New Name Be? Clearly, the goal was a name that felt neither too highbrow nor too lowbrow, as restaurants have been trending toward an unstuffy seriousness for decades.—
Jesse David Fox,
Vulture,
10 July 2024
Adjective
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Wiseman’s documentaries won’t ever earn blockbuster money or inspire franchises, the mark of success in the film world, and there’s no merch to purchase or brand sponsorship tickling the acquisitive part of your brain.—
Alissa Wilkinson,
New York Times,
8 Feb. 2025
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Meanwhile, Federation rivals ITV Studios and Fremantle are both rumored to be on the block, while Banijay remains acquisitive and newer players like North Road are part of this evolving conversation.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
29 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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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
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The effort of analyzing this video, a piece of artless misinformation, was beneath Abu Hamdan, who has dedicated himself to unveiling the violence of the world through the medium of sound.—
Doreen St. Félix,
The New Yorker,
15 July 2024
Cite this Entry
“Philistine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/philistine. Accessed 6 Mar. 2025.
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