zeitgeist
noun
ˈzīt-
Did you know?
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
Jason Maxey, Rolling Stone, 2 May 2026
What began in 1948 as a fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute has become a yearly spectacle of fashion that’s part of the cultural zeitgeist.
—Elizabeth Stamp, Architectural Digest, 2 May 2026
Yet again, Blazy has done his job in creating something that has gotten people talking, bringing Chanel into the zeitgeist as a fashion house that's current, modern and very much stepping out of the fashion box.
—Hedy Phillips, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026
Writing just before estrangement hit the zeitgeist, Brown tackles head-on the stigma and secrecy that have long surrounded the topic.
—Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for zeitgeist
Cite this Entry
“Zeitgeist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zeitgeist. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
Copy Citation
