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Definitions

materialism

[muh-teer-ee-uh-liz-uhm] / məˈtɪər i əˌlɪz əm /
NOUN
desire for possessions
Synonyms
Antonyms


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.

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

Many eighteenth-century atheists, such as d’Holbach and Diderot, were to take their inspiration from Descartes’ mechanism and turn it into a systematic materialism with no room for God.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton