materialistic

adjective

ma·​te·​ri·​al·​is·​tic mə-ˌtir-ē-ə-ˈli-stik 

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

mə-ˌtir-ē-ə-ˈli-sti-k(ə-)lē 

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

On a date, people are dressed up and act a certain way; maybe being a bit materialistic. —Arielle Domb, Vogue, 1 Nov. 2024

Another is with their adoptive family, which is made up of an uptight aunt, a materialistic uncle, and seven snide cousins. —Mia Taylor, Parents, 4 Oct. 2024

The cosmos is emphasizing the idea of earning your living as the Moon conjoins Saturn in your materialistic 2nd house, which reminds you of the wisdom of having at least one rainy-day fund set aside. —Tarot.com, Orlando Sentinel, 27 June 2024

Those crises shaped the millennials, financial experts say, giving them a stronger sense of living in the moment and a less materialistic outlook than the generations that preceded them. —Daniel De Visé, USA TODAY, 17 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1832, in the meaning defined at sense 2