Materialist Meaning
/məˈtiːɹɪəlɪst/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounSomeone who is materialistic, concerned only with material possessions.
nounA follower or proponent of philosophical materialism.
Sentence Examples
Mary is a materialist.
Tom is a materialist.
I tend to look at things from a scientific materialist perspective.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The wealthy ____ purchased a sports car only to display his status.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She described her neighbor as a shallow ____ who only cares about expensive cars and jewelry.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree English material Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō) Proto-Hellenic *-tās Ancient Greek -τής (-tḗs) Ancient Greek -ῐστής (-ĭstḗs)bor. Latin -istader. Old French -istebor. Middle English -ist English -ist English materialist From material + -ist.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Ironically, today's generation has become the little materialists and "fame whores" (New York Magazine's term) their boomer parents so reviled."
— 2007 March 2, Christopher Orlet, “The Look-at-Me Generation”, in The American Spectator:
"It is weary work enough to argue with an ordinary materialist, who hurls statistics and whole strata of geological facts at your head, whilst you can only buffet him with deductions and instincts and the snowflakes of faith, that are, alas! so apt to melt in the hot embers of our troubles."
— 1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, →OCLC:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The wealthy ____ purchased a sports car only to display his status.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She described her neighbor as a shallow ____ who only cares about expensive cars and jewelry.