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 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
Jason Sheeler, Peoplemag, 26 Apr. 2024
Titles like supernatural series Stranger Things, Regency-era romance Bridgerton, and coming-of-age comedy Wednesday have driven the cultural zeitgeist.
—Rachyl Jones, Fortune, 25 Apr. 2024
With a role that requires her to be both tapped into in the zeitgeist and pushing the boundaries of it, Zhang says her taste has remained pretty consistent over the years.
—Talia Abbas, Vogue, 22 Apr. 2024
Secondhand marketplaces provide endless access to famed collections of the past—pieces that carry history and lore; are the footprints of a fashion house, and bona fide heirlooms that remain in the zeitgeist.
—Megan O'Sullivan, Vogue, 17 Apr. 2024
First, cats are arguably in the zeitgeist right now — for whatever reasons govern such things.
—James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Apr. 2024
The debate over her latest album and movie shows why J.Lo has remained in the American pop culture zeitgeist for almost three decades.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 13 Mar. 2024
Also, notwithstanding the zeitgeist and issue-based dramas, these filmmakers are concerned about ordinary people’s day-to-day lives.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 4 Mar. 2024
Fast-fashion chains like Zara and H&M peddled unisex pantomimes of these skinny upmarket styles, and before long, so did mass-retail behemoths like Old Navy and Target, signaling and consolidating small pants’ grip on the zeitgeist.
—Jonah Weiner, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'zeitgeist.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near zeitgeist
Cite this Entry
“Zeitgeist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zeitgeist. Accessed 3 May. 2024.
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