SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
materialism
noun
An emphasis on possessions and physical comfort; in philosophy, the view that reality is fundamentally material.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Priority given to possessions
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topConsumerism and acquisitiveness overlap with this sense; neither is the philosophical doctrine about what reality consists of.
Reality understood as material
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topPhysicalism is closely related, especially in modern philosophy, but definitions and scope can differ between authors.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See materialism in use
The novel criticizes materialism through characters who judge every friendship by income and status.
The story criticizes materialism through a character who values the ownership of impressive objects and physical comforts above the relationships formed at the gatherings.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license