materialist

[ muh-teer-ee-uh-list ]

noun

1. a person who is markedly more concerned with material things than with spiritual, intellectual, or cultural values.
2. an adherent of philosophical materialism.

adjective

1. concerned with material things; materialistic.
2. of or relating to philosophical materialism or its adherents.

Other Words From

• ma·teri·al·istic adjective
• anti·ma·teri·al·ist noun adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of materialist¹

From the New Latin word māteriālista, dating back to 1660–70. See material, -ist

Example Sentences

So they tried to understand the world and human functioning with a more materialist scientific approach.

From Time

Schooler and I duked it out over whether we should adopt a materialist, idealist, panpsychist, or some other position on our way to a complete answer.

From Nautilus

As a radio materialist, you might come to the conclusion that somehow this arrangement of wires causes the voices to happen, but you wouldn’t even be aware that there are distant cities with radio towers.

From Nautilus

As little as that sentence makes sense, it seems West is attempting to label Hitchens as a one dimensional materialist.

From The Daily Beast

Every pull in the shoulders, every hitch in the back, every kink in the sleeves makes me a profound materialist.

From Project Gutenberg

His psychology is that of the crass materialist—always a rather funny article.

From Project Gutenberg

She is a materialist; she wants immediate results, and all that keeps her from being a gambler is the fear of losing.

From Project Gutenberg

Materialism, conscious and avowed Materialism, is in ill repute: and a confessed Materialist therefore a rare character.

From Project Gutenberg

Why else does he write his learned books in defense of the materialist philosophy?

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• agnostic
• cynic
• dissenter
• doubter
• pessimist
• questioner