German word

Zeitgeist

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈtsaɪ̯tˌgaɪ̯st/

Meaning

  • masculine nounspirit of the times

Example

Man spürt den Zeitgeist auf der Straße.

You can sense the spirit of the times on the street.

Illustration for Zeitgeist (spirit of the times)

More examples

Viele Designer gehen mit dem Zeitgeist und setzen auf Minimalismus.

Many designers go with the spirit of the times and opt for minimalism.

Core concept

A shared cultural current that shapes how an era thinks, feels, and acts.

Common phrases

  • mit dem Zeitgeist gehen

    go with the spirit of the times

  • sich dem Zeitgeist anpassen

    adapt to the spirit of the times

  • den Zeitgeist kommentieren

    comment on the spirit of the times

Similar words

Geist: An abstract way of thinking or state of mind.
Gesinnung: A person's or group's characteristic moral or ideological outlook.
Stimmung: The emotional atmosphere felt by people in a place or period.
Kultur: The shared customs, arts, values, and ways of life of a society.

Definition in German

Das kollektive Denken und die typischen Einstellungen, die eine Epoche prägen.

Word origin

Zeitgeist is a German compound of Zeit, meaning 'time', and Geist, meaning 'spirit' or 'mind', formed to name the defining outlook of an era.

Usage tips

  • Zeitgeist is masculine, so standard forms include der Zeitgeist and den Zeitgeist, and the noun is capitalized in German.

Opposites

Related words

  • zeitgeistnahclose to the spirit of the timesadjective
  • Zeitgeistkritikercritic of the spirit of the timesnoun

Word lists with this word