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.

No candidate has polled higher than 20-some percent — a testament to how many are in the running, but also an indication that none of them has truly captured the zeitgeist of today’s California.

From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026

But these individual feats seem less important than the zeitgeist of the era.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

AI is just one more thing we all have to worry about now — in the classroom, in the workplace, in the zeitgeist.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

“The current zeitgeist is a great place for a movie like this,” she says.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026

And this active province of Béarn kept pace; it opened quickly to the new influences, was alive to the changing zeitgeist.

From A Midsummer Drive Through the Pyrenees by Dix, Edwin Asa