zeitgeist

noun

zeit·geist ˈtsīt-ˌgīst

ˈzīt-

often capitalized

: the general intellectual, moral, and cultural climate of an era

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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

His songs perfectly captured the zeitgeist of 1960s America.

Recent Examples on the Web

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What makes this comedy a permanent fixture in the zeitgeist is its kaleidoscopic look at the end of high school, never just focusing on any one clique, but, instead, daring to try and capture them all. —

Brian Smolensky and James Mercadante, EW.com, 27 Jan. 2025 Today, her books have sold millions of copies, regularly appear on global bestseller lists, have been translated into over 40 languages, and have firmly cemented their place in the cultural zeitgeist. —

Karin Eldor, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025 Those who find Trump’s mixing of politics and marketing objectionable are swimming against the cultural zeitgeist. —

Eric Heavner, Baltimore Sun, 18 Jan. 2025 Still, the film pointedly nabbed the big prize over Wicked, a smash hit that has dominated the zeitgeist since Thanksgiving. —

David Sims, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for zeitgeist