materialistic

adjective

ma·​te·​ri·​al·​is·​tic mə-ˌtir-ē-ə-ˈli-stik How to pronounce materialistic (audio)
1
: overly concerned or preoccupied with material possessions rather than with intellectual or spiritual things
We had always watched The Beverly Hillbillies, and the Andy Griffith Show, where the country folks had to set things straight for the more materialistic city folk.Artie Ann Bates
Paying high prices for furniture and art is surely a reflection of an increasingly materialistic age.Carol Vogel
2
: of, relating to, or deriving from the theory or doctrine of materialism (see materialism sense 1)
With the so-called Enlightenment, however, a linear, reductionistic, and materialistic view of the universe arose.David Fideler
materialistically adverb
The sin of disobedience to the heavenly vision cannot be atoned for with dollars, and the spiritual loss is highly visible in a self-centered, materialistically minded people. Robertson McQuilkin

Examples of materialistic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Individuals high on this dimension can admit to their mistakes, refrain from overly materialistic pursuits and an envy of others’ possessions. Mark Travers, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024 Beijing officials routinely order these companies to alter their internal practices, such as by ordering social media platforms to suppress overly materialistic content. Eleanor Pringle, Fortune Asia, 8 Nov. 2024 Mafalda has friends who variously embody conservative family values and the values of materialistic, upwardly mobile immigrants. Richard Feinberg, Foreign Affairs, 20 Apr. 2021 Neither one can entirely remain an island, though Vadim veritably cultivates an estrangement from his stuffy, materialistic son Peter (Vladimir Vdovichenkov). Guy Lodge, Variety, 12 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for materialistic 

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1832, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of materialistic was circa 1832

Dictionary Entries Near materialistic

Cite this Entry

“Materialistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/materialistic. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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