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.

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

How the latest installment of the show lands with fans is a test of whether a one-time hit can again capture the zeitgeist.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 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

But its ineffectual japing, and Michaels’ inability to help himself when it comes to normalizing repugnant behavior in the name of chasing the zeitgeist, makes it a popular stop on the image rehab express.

From Salon • Mar. 6, 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 Rives, Amélie