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
OTHER WORDS FROM materialism
an·ti·ma·te·ri·al·ism, nounWords nearby materialism
Example sentences from the Web for materialism
British Dictionary definitions for 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, adverbCultural definitions for 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.