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• zeitgeist
  zeitgeist

  noun

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

  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.

zeitgeist

American  

[tsahyt-, zahyt-gahyst] / ˈtsaɪt-, ˈzaɪtˌgaɪst /

Sometimes Zeitgeist

noun

1. 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.

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zeitgeist British  

/ ˈzaɪtˌɡaɪst /

noun

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

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Zeitgeist Cultural  

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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Usage

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.

Etymology

Origin of zeitgeist

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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

zeitgeist Zeitgeist

Pendleton introduced the Westerley sweater in 1974, but it didn’t enter the zeitgeist until 24 years later, when Joel and Ethan Coen released their masterwork.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 25, 2026

When it comes to YouTube, though, he’s firmly in the cultural zeitgeist.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

His mid-20th century style reflects both the European zeitgeist and his own exuberantly analytic big-picture sensibility.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026

"It's a unique moment in our collective zeitgeist for sure," says Fratto, but she also thinks that Nvidia's decision to put Jensen Huang on the front of its official merch is also "kind of funny".

From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026

So Sophy left off trying to understand clearly all the "ologies" and fly-wheel within fly-wheel movements of the day, and contented herself with a general apprehension of the zeitgeist.

From Shadows of Flames A Novel by Amélie Rives

The result is Zeitgeist Films’ “Taking Venice,” which will have its theatrical release next month in New York and Los Angeles.

From New York Times ● Apr. 19, 2024

The film’s carefulness to avoid running afoul of the Zeitgeist may have come at a cost of sheer cinematic delight, as suggested by some of the reviews.

From Washington Times ● May 25, 2023

The group's brands are known for "capturing the Zeitgeist" noted Solca, who said Gucci's past success was "the most impressive turnaround story in luxury history."

From Reuters ● Jan. 13, 2023

There was a time when you could walk into Zeitgeist, a notorious dive bar in San Francisco, and be certain to see Isaac Fitzgerald jovially drinking there — and, some time later, working the door.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2022

Is it purely a matter of Zeitgeist, or is there some sensible explanation?

From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt

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