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 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
Tim Ellis, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2025
Noah [Oppenheim] and Michael [Schmidt] and Eric [Newman, the three creators] are very on top of the zeitgeist.
—Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2025
Netflix Both Lauren and Cameron and Marissa and Ramses gave us something new and pushed the cultural zeitgeist forward.
—Monique Wilson, Glamour, 18 Feb. 2025
Others, of course, love the show's ability to poke fun at the cultural and political zeitgeist of the moment.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for zeitgeist
Cite this Entry
“Zeitgeist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zeitgeist. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
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