materialism

[ muh-teer-ee-uh-liz-uh m ]
/ məˈtɪər i əˌlɪz əm /

noun

preoccupation with or emphasis on material objects, comforts, and considerations, with a disinterest in or rejection of spiritual, intellectual, or cultural values.
the philosophical theory that regards matter and its motions as constituting the universe, and all phenomena, including those of mind, as due to material agencies.

Origin of materialism

From the New Latin word māteriālismus, dating back to 1740–50. See material, -ism

OTHER WORDS FROM materialism

an·ti·ma·te·ri·al·ism, noun

Example sentences from the Web for anti-materialism

  • With all economic indicators looking positively Grinchy at the moment, this is a zeitgeist-appropriate, anti-materialism song.

    Ave Mariah |Jessi Klein |December 22, 2008 |DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for anti-materialism

materialism
/ (məˈtɪərɪəˌlɪzəm) /

noun

interest in and desire for money, possessions, etc, rather than spiritual or ethical values
philosophy the monist doctrine that matter is the only reality and that the mind, the emotions, etc, are merely functions of it Compare idealism (def. 3), dualism (def. 2) See also identity theory
ethics the rejection of any religious or supernatural account of things

Derived forms of materialism

materialist, noun, adjective materialistic, adjective materialistically, adverb

Cultural definitions for anti-materialism

materialism

In philosophy, the position that nothing exists except matter — things that can be measured or known through the senses. Materialists deny the existence of spirit, and they look for physical explanations for all phenomena. Thus, for example, they trace mental states to the brain or nervous system, rather than to the spirit or the soul. Marxism, because it sees human culture as the product of economic forces, is a materialist system of beliefs.