Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Excessively concerned with material possessions and physical comfort: Describes a person or attitude that prioritizes wealth, money, and tangible goods over spiritual, intellectual, or ethical values.
   • Based on or relating to the philosophical theory of materialism: Pertaining to the belief that nothing exists except matter and its movements and modifications, or that consciousness and the mind are wholly due to material agency.

Examples of Usage

• Adjective:
  • He became more materialistic after getting a high-paying job, caring only about cars and designer clothes.
  • The philosopher's materialistic worldview rejected the existence of a soul.
  • Our society is often criticized for being too materialistic and consumer-driven.

Advanced Usage

• "materialistic values": A set of beliefs that emphasize the importance of owning possessions and wealth.
  • The film critiques the materialistic values of modern culture.
• "materialistic interpretation": An explanation of events or phenomena based solely on physical or economic causes.
  • He offered a materialistic interpretation of historical change, focusing on resources and technology.

Variants and Related Words

• Materialism (n): The tendency to consider material possessions and physical comfort as more important than spiritual values; also, the philosophical theory that matter is the fundamental substance in nature.
  • His materialism left him feeling spiritually empty.
• Materialist (n): A person who considers material possessions and physical comfort more important than spiritual values; or, an adherent of the philosophical theory of materialism.
  • As a materialist, she believes all mental phenomena are physical processes.

Synonyms

• Acquisitive: Excessively interested in acquiring money or material things.
• Consumerist: Emphasizing the acquisition of consumer goods.
• Worldly: Concerned with material values or ordinary life rather than spiritual or intellectual matters.
• Mercenary: Primarily concerned with making money at the expense of ethics.

Antonyms

• Spiritual: Concerned with the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things.
• Ascetic: Characterized by severe self-discipline and abstention from all forms of indulgence, typically for religious reasons.
• Idealistic: Characterized by lofty or noble principles, often in an unrealistic way.
• Unworldly: Not concerned with material values or pursuits.

Adjective

1. conforming to the standards and conventions of the middle class
   • a bourgeois mentality
2. marked by materialism