Meaning & use
materialism
An excessive focus on acquiring money and possessions rather than spiritual or ethical values.
See it in a sentence
Critics accused the holiday season of encouraging pure materialism over generosity.
The philosophy course examined materialism, the view that only physical matter truly exists.
A note on using this word
In philosophy, materialism is a neutral technical term about the nature of reality, distinct from its everyday, more critical sense about greed.
Words with a similar meaning
consumerismacquisitiveness
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
spiritualityidealism
Make it your own
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