Materialistic: Definition, Usage & Examples

Meaning 1：focused on possessions (materialistic)

materialistic 🔊

/məˌtɪriəˈlɪstɪk/

adj.

When a person cares too much about owning expensive things like brand-name items and fancy cars, and believes these things are the key to happiness.

Materialistic person taking selfie with luxury shopping bags in boutique

focused on possessions 🔊

➕

/ˈfoʊkəst ɑn pəˈzɛʃənz/

adj.

Describes a person who places excessive importance on acquiring and owning physical goods and luxury items, often equating them with success and happiness.

📁 Category：Social Economy 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Formed from 'material' + '-istic', a suffix meaning 'relating to'.

💡 Mnemonic

Think of 'material' and 'list'. A materialistic person has a long list of material things they want.

📖 Example

She kept posting pictures of her new sports car online, which seemed a bit materialistic to her friends who valued experiences more. 🔊 She kept posting pictures of her new sports car online, which seemed a bit materialistic to her friends who valued experiences more.

🔗 Collocations

materialistic society – a society that emphasizes the acquisition of consumer goods

materialistic values – beliefs that prioritize wealth and possessions

materialistic lifestyle – a way of life centered around consuming and displaying goods

🔄 Synonyms

acquisitive (adj.) – excessively interested in acquiring money or material things

consumption-oriented (adj.) – focused on buying and using goods and services

possessive (adj.) – demanding someone's total attention and love; also showing a desire to own things

🚫 Antonyms

spiritual (adj.) – concerned with the human spirit or soul, rather than material or physical things

ascetic (adj.) – characterized by severe self-discipline and abstention from all forms of indulgence, typically for religious reasons

minimalist (adj.) – advocating or practicing minimalism, especially in art, design, or lifestyle, using the simplest and fewest elements

🌱 Derivatives

materialism (n.) – the belief that material possessions and physical comfort are more important than spiritual values

materialist (n.) – a person who considers material possessions and physical comfort more important than spiritual values

📖 Cultural Story

Derived from Latin 'materia' meaning 'matter' or 'substance'. The term gained prominence in 19th-century philosophical debates, opposing spiritual or idealistic views, to describe an attitude that prioritizes physical possessions over abstract values.