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Showing results for materialism.
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.

"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

Example: A central tenet of materialism is that consciousness exists exclusively in the brain.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 16, 2025

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

“The idealism of the 1960s was yielding to the materialism of the 1980s, a new preoccupation with the navel-gazing, ego-stroking life,” Grynbaum writes.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 14, 2025

I look around my table, and everyone seems completely fascinated as Ms. Smith introduces the book, telling us about Fitzgerald’s life and asking us for a definition of materialism.

From "Sparrow" by Sarah Moon