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 growing up, it definitely wasn’t in my cultural zeitgeist, whatever you want to call it.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026

The show, which ran from 2004 to 2007 on NBC, was emblematic of the true-crime-obsessed, tabloid-fueled zeitgeist of the aughts.

From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026

“The existing board does not have the skillset to hire a world-class brand/product person who can deliver on the newest zeitgeist or style of the moment,” Wilson wrote.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026

A stage adaptation can’t duplicate the way Lumet visually distilled the rough-and-tumble New York zeitgeist of the tumultuous early 1970s.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 29, 2026

People all over the world who are really secret agents for some other time zone, some other way of looking at the world, some other zeitgeist.

From Eastern Standard Tribe by Doctorow, Cory