51Թ

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View synonyms for

zeitgeist

[tsahyt-, zahyt-gahyst]

noun

  1. Sometimes Zeitgeist the spirit of the time; the general trend of thought, feeling, or tastes characteristic of a particular period of time.

    It’s one of those iconic novels that represents the zeitgeist of the mid-1990s so perfectly that reading it provides the ideal dose of nostalgia.



zeitgeist

/ ˈɪˌɡɪ /

noun

  1. the spirit, attitude, or general outlook of a specific time or period, esp as it is reflected in literature, philosophy, etc

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Zeitgeist

  1. The general moral, intellectual, and cultural climate of an era; Zeitgeist is German for “time-spirit.” For example, the Zeitgeist of England in the Victorian period included a belief in industrial progress, and the Zeitgeist of the 1980s in the United States was a belief in the power of money and the many ways in which to spend it.

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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of zeitgeist1

First recorded in 1840–50; from German Zeitgeist, equivalent to Zeit “time, age, epoch” + Geist “spirit, mind, intellect”; tide 1 ( def. ), ghost ( def. )
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of zeitgeist1

C20: from German, literally: time spirit; see tide 1 , ghost
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

If it’s a little on the money in terms of dialogue, it’s useful information given that many are aware of autism without knowing much about it — it shows up more on TV because it shows up more in the zeitgeist, and screenwriters are always looking for a new angle.

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“To be modern means to stand near the spirit of the present Zeitgeist. And for art, too, no other modernity is possible.”

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The Yun and Paik zeitgeist of going your own original and expressive sonic way while always being aware of tradition, whether embraced or rejected, pervades Chin, 63, and the generation of Korean composers who came after her and whom she has invited to the festival.

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“The show always worked before and it was always sort of timeless. It was not anything that relied on current events or the current zeitgeist. We really just had to keep doing what we are doing and keep pushing the envelope into new areas and do it without violating the framework that we had set up.”

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Especially if something hits the zeitgeist, then I notice that there's a lot of incoming projects that are tonally similar to the character that I've played, which is rarely exciting because then it's like, "Yeah, this is cool, but I've literally just played this character for six months."

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When To Use

What does zeitgeist mean?

The zeitgeist is the collective attitude or outlook of people or a culture at a specific point in time.Zeitgeist can be used in discussion of the current moment, a narrow period of time  in the past, or a broader period or era. Literature and other media are sometimes said to express the Zeitgeist of the time they were created in or of a past period of time. The word is capitalized in its original language, German, and is sometimes capitalized in English (Zeitgeist).Example: The zeitgeist at the time was a feeling that anything was possible.

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zeitgeberzeitgeisty