materialistic

[ muh-teer-ee-uh-lis-tik ]

adjective

1. excessively concerned with physical comforts or the acquisition of wealth and material possessions, rather than with spiritual, intellectual, or cultural values.
2. adhering to the philosophy of materialism, a theory that regards matter as constituting the universe and all its phenomena.

Other Words From

• ma·teri·al·isti·cal·ly adverb
• anti·ma·teri·al·istic adjective
• anti·ma·teri·al·isti·cal·ly adverb
• nonma·teri·al·istic adjective
• nonma·teri·al·isti·cal·ly adverb
• semi·ma·teri·al·istic adjective
• unma·teri·al·istic adjective
• unma·teri·al·isti·cal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of materialistic¹

materialist + -ic

Example Sentences

While embracing their materialistic wealth, modern women in rap also embrace their physical appearance.

From TruthBeTold.news

So, if you are a large materialistic company that produces lots of physical things, has lots of carbon in it and those companies are absolutely vital for how we live and exist.

From MIT Technology Review

On TV and in movies, we got the high-achieving, materialistic women warriors of Sex and the City, but also Ally McBeal, Legally Blonde, the Cameron Diaz canon, and more Bridget Jones.

From Time

Watching her eyes expand, her mouth churn and tremble with pain was discomforting, but after watching her two, sometimes three times a day for weeks, I couldn't dismiss her as a materialistic airhead.

From Washington Post

The idea that materialistic values can obstruct our path to happiness dates back hundreds of years.

From Popular-Science

By the way, killjoys, American charitable giving goes up by 42 percent during this season of crass materialistic greed and excess.

From The Daily Beast

They succumbed to infidelity, remained materialistic, and acted selfishly.

From The Daily Beast

And so he bears within him the potential to rise above his skewed materialistic values and tap into a true sense of dignity.

From The Daily Beast

This is sort of a materialistic tradition, but every year for Sundance, my friends and I road trip out here.

From The Daily Beast

And for the inescapably materialistic aspirations of that blacksmith, DuBois did not have much regard.

From The Daily Beast

Because we have become so materialistic, we have lost that grand triumphant conviction that there is no death.

From Project Gutenberg

She made her lover effeminate and materialistic, advising with him about everything.

From Project Gutenberg

The cardinal point in Holbach's philosophy is an inexorable materialistic necessity.

From Project Gutenberg

The spirit of the land is as yet materialistic, and the democratic spirit shows itself in the outward forms.

From Project Gutenberg

It was not what we materialistic people should call a fine August day.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• greedy
• profane
• secular
• sensual
• temporal