PHILISTINISM

materialism, philistinism

(noun) a desire for wealth and material possessions with little interest in ethical or spiritual matters

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

philistinism (countable and uncountable, plural philistinisms)

A materialistic attitude accompanied by ignorance of artistic or cultural matters

Source: Wiktionary


Phi*lis"tin*ism, n.

Definition: The condition, character, aims, and habits of the class called Philistines. See Philistine, 3. [Recent] Carlyle. On the side of beauty and taste, vulgarity; on the side of morals and feeling, coarseness; on the side of mind and spirit, unintelligence,

– this is Philistinism. M. Arnold.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

12 February 2025

MEGACOLON

(noun) an abnormal enlargement of the colon; can be congenital (as in Hirschsprung’s disease) or acquired (as when children refuse to defecate)


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Coffee Trivia

The world’s most expensive coffee costs more than US$700 per kilogram. Asian palm civet – a cat-like creature in Indonesia, eats fruits, including select coffee cherries. It excretes partially digested seeds that produce a smooth, less acidic brew of coffee called kopi luwak.

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