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
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
Some of these people spend a lot of money and live incredibly materialistic lives.
—Morgan Housel, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for materialistic
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
Some of these people spend a lot of money and live incredibly materialistic lives.
—Morgan Housel, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for materialistic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for materialistic
Adjective
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The plot is based around a routine jury site visit that turns deadly when a mercenary kill team led by Hewitt (Adkins) storms the location in search of a secret ledger detailing citywide corruption.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
13 May 2026
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The recent series of events—none of which, on their face, are as dramatic as an armed uprising of mercenary fighters—has created a sense that the political system is at once tightly controlled and utterly rudderless.—
Joshua Yaffa,
New Yorker,
8 May 2026
Adjective
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Romano’s sturdy book may not stint on examples of Mary’s bad behavior—including a ferociously jealous verbal assault, near the end of the war, on the wife of a prominent Union general—but the biographer keeps tilting against those who slighted Mary in even the most superficial ways.—
Thomas Mallon,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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Then, let the paste sit for a few minutes before scrubbing away with a clean cloth to reveal like-new furniture with no superficial scratches.—
Alexandra Kelly,
Martha Stewart,
9 May 2026
Adjective
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The main culprit for labor’s shrinking share of the economic pie is government policy, not greedy corporations.—
Scott Lincicome,
Washington Post,
11 May 2026
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Summers in Florida would not be so hot if lawmakers were not so greedy; developers not so persistent; if land and wildlife weren’t paved for roads, parking lots and housing developments.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Materialistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/materialistic. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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