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
Robert Pearlman, ArsTechnica, 11 July 2025
As the storied construction giant celebrates its centennial in 2025, Caterpillar’s growth has evolved to fit the economic zeitgeist—now much of its new business is focused on powering the data center boom.
—Jordan Blum, Fortune, 11 July 2025
That is tapping into the current zeitgeist and some attitudes by some parts of society that women should be more feminine.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 10 July 2025
Admittedly, the house that merengue built fell into disrepair in the new millennium, due to stubborn gatekeeping from industry stalwarts, as well as a zeitgeist pivot towards dembow and urbano trends.
—Richard Villegas, Rolling Stone, 7 July 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 20 Jul. 2025.
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