materialism

American  

[muh-teer-ee-uh-liz-uhm] / məˈtɪər i əˌlɪz əm /

noun

1. preoccupation with or emphasis on material objects, comforts, and considerations, with a disinterest in or rejection of spiritual, intellectual, or cultural values.

2. the philosophical theory that regards matter and its motions as constituting the universe, and all phenomena, including those of mind, as due to material agencies.

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materialism British  

/ məˈtɪərɪəˌlɪzəm /

noun

1. interest in and desire for money, possessions, etc, rather than spiritual or ethical values

2. philosophy the monist doctrine that matter is the only reality and that the mind, the emotions, etc, are merely functions of it Compare idealism dualism See also identity theory

3. ethics the rejection of any religious or supernatural account of things

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materialism Cultural  

1. In philosophy, the position that nothing exists except matter — things that can be measured or known through the senses. Materialists deny the existence of spirit, and they look for physical explanations for all phenomena. Thus, for example, they trace mental states to the brain or nervous system, rather than to the spirit or the soul. Marxism, because it sees human culture as the product of economic forces, is a materialist system of beliefs.

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Other Word Forms

• antimaterialism noun
• materialist noun
• materialistic adjective
• materialistically adverb

Etymology

Origin of materialism

From the New Latin word māteriālismus, dating back to 1740–50. See material, -ism

Example Sentences

Lamarck’s science was indeed revolutionary for its time, emphasizing nonreligious materialism and imagining a version of evolutionary change.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

"It's been crowded like this for the last couple of states," he told those in attendance, urging listeners to avoid "chasing materialism" and to abandon thoughts of greed, anger and hatred.

From Barron's • Feb. 3, 2026

The older anti-vice crowd and the newer social justice crowd talk of greed, materialism, addictive behaviors, caring for the poor and vulnerable—“Those can be compelling arguments,” Williams said.

From Slate • Sep. 5, 2025

"All our basic needs are taken care of. It is clean and peaceful – the children can play basketball or go swimming after school. We don't need shopping malls or all that materialism."

From BBC • May 20, 2025

A friend once asked me how I could reconcile my creed of African nationalism with a belief in dialectical materialism.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela