zeitgeist

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

NOUN

spirit of the time

Synonyms

STRONG

climate outlook spirit trend

WEAK

ambience atmosphere disposition feeling flavor inclination leaning milieu movement tendency tenor tone

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.

The one-minute spot cleverly capitalizes on the zeitgeist’s knowledge of Paltrow’s relationship to Martin and uses that joke to spin the conversation in another direction, highlighting the Astronomer product’s actual function.

From Salon

Deeper even than what is usually attributed to the zeitgeist.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Holiday Touchdown” is the second movie to come out of Hallmark’s partnership with the NFL — last year’s “Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story” was the first, which “kind of tapped into some crazy zeitgeist moment last year,” DiPippo said, referring to the frenzy over the relationship between Taylor Swift and Chiefs player Travis Kelce.

From Los Angeles Times

As cable TV was born, Mr. Freston jumped on board as chief executive of MTV Networks, the revolutionary juggernaut that quickly developed a grip on the global cultural zeitgeist.

From The Wall Street Journal

Set and filmed in Melbourne, Neighbours was first broadcast in Australia in 1985 and launched on BBC One a year later, quickly entering the cultural zeitgeist.

From BBC