Beyond the Zeitgeist

The spirit of the time; the spirit characteristic of an age or generation

WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.

Zeit·geist (tsīt’gīst’, zīt’-)

n. The spirit of the time; the taste and outlook characteristic of a period or generation: “It’s easy to see how a student . . . in the 1940’s could imbibe such notions. The Zeitgeist encouraged Philosopher-Kings” (James Atlas).

[German : Zeit, time (from Middle High German zīt, from Old High German; see dā- in Indo-European roots) + Geist, spirit; see poltergeist.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth EditionCopyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Zeit·geist [tsahyt-gahyst] –noun German.

the spirit of the time; general trend of thought or feeling characteristic of a particular period of time.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

(All definitions found on dictionary.com.)