as in mercenary
having or marked by interest in material possessions as opposed to intellectual or spiritual things
His essay criticises the materialistic culture of today's world.
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Recent Examples of materialistic
Heather is accused of hiding behind her humor, Lisa of hiding behind materialistic things, and Angie of hiding behind her sharp tongue, for example.
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Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
7 Jan. 2026
Far too many became trapped in a materialistic outlook where success was based on acquiring wealth.
—
Jane Goodall,
Time,
12 Nov. 2025
Which is to say, this isn’t the story of a greedy, materialistic man who suffers a crisis of conscience while trying to pry a priceless treasure away from an uneducated hick who doesn’t know any better.
—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
29 Oct. 2025
That newness may show itself as an increasingly brighter outlook; a sense of having a higher, more spiritual selfhood; and a growing realization that the old way of thinking of ourselves as materialistic mortals is not merely superficial or a thing of the past, but has never actually been accurate.
—
Russ Gerber,
Christian Science Monitor,
14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for materialistic
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
7 Jan. 2026
Far too many became trapped in a materialistic outlook where success was based on acquiring wealth.
—
Jane Goodall,
Time,
12 Nov. 2025
Which is to say, this isn’t the story of a greedy, materialistic man who suffers a crisis of conscience while trying to pry a priceless treasure away from an uneducated hick who doesn’t know any better.
—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
29 Oct. 2025
That newness may show itself as an increasingly brighter outlook; a sense of having a higher, more spiritual selfhood; and a growing realization that the old way of thinking of ourselves as materialistic mortals is not merely superficial or a thing of the past, but has never actually been accurate.
—
Russ Gerber,
Christian Science Monitor,
14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for materialistic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for materialistic
Adjective
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Three years later, Fox commands his dad's mercenary band against Andross.
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The decision was preceded by several decades of fervent debate and disagreement among practitioners; detractors argued that adding the disorder was reckless, if not mercenary.
Adjective
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Context that lacks acknowledgment comes across as defensive, and acknowledgment that lacks context comes across superficial.
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At the most superficial level, the DSA influx has associated Democrats with a series of kooky beliefs and statements.
Adjective
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The Sudanese conflict has conscripted the neighboring countries who are selfishly courting either faction for resources or political standing, as well as greedy, exploitative foreign powers who repeatedly leverage religious and cultural tensions in the region, into the fight for profit.
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Next to him were Brad Lander, Darializa Avila Chevalier and Claire Valdez, all left-leaning candidates running on a platform that includes abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement and taking on bad landlords and greedy corporations.
Cite this Entry
“Materialistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/materialistic. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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