materialist
Americannoun
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a person who is markedly more concerned with material things than with spiritual, intellectual, or cultural values.
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an adherent of philosophical materialism.
adjective
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concerned with material things; materialistic.
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of or relating to philosophical materialism or its adherents.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of materialist
From the New Latin word māteriālista, dating back to 1660–70. See material, -ist
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Does the widespread adoption of materialist ideas sabotage the hope of living meaningfully?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 9, 2026
“Now that’s a Nüwü spiritual way of looking at things, as opposed to this materialist representation of monetary wealth and consumption and greed.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 12, 2025
Rastafari reject materialist values and often practice a strict oneness with nature.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 13, 2024
In 1967, Mr. Celant noticed that some members of the postwar generation of young artists were using humor, provocation and unconventional materials to rebel against both older artistic orthodoxies and materialist pop culture.
From New York Times ● Dec. 23, 2023
I am, for example, a materialist largely because I was brought up to believe in the central mystery of the Church—the redemptive Incarnation.
From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
