Standard Lemma guide

materialist

adj · noun · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /məˈtiːɹɪəlɪst/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: M AH0 T IH1 R IY0 AH0 L IH0 S T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Of or concerning materialism.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: human-sciences, philosophy, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Synonym of materialistic, concerned only with material things.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: materialistic, concerned only with material things

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Someone who is materialistic, concerned only with material possessions.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A follower or proponent of philosophical materialism.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

someone who thinks that nothing exists but physical matter

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: disbeliever, nonbeliever, unbeliever

6

noun

Meaning 6

someone with great regard for material possessions

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: capitalist

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English material Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō) Proto-Hellenic *-tās Ancient Greek -τής (-tḗs) Ancient Greek -ῐστής (-ĭstḗs)bor. Latin -istader. Old French -istebor. Middle English -ist English -ist English materialist From material + -ist.

Across languages

Translations

51 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: materialista — of or concerning materialism
  • Dutch: materialistisch — of or concerning materialism
  • Esperanto: materialisma — of or concerning materialism
  • Finnish: materialistinen — of or concerning materialism
  • French: matérialiste — of or concerning materialism
  • Georgian: მატერიალისტური (maṭerialisṭuri) — of or concerning materialism
  • German: materialistisch — of or concerning materialism
  • Greek: ματεριαλιστικός (materialistikós) — of or concerning materialism
  • Greek: υλιστικός (ylistikós) — of or concerning materialism
  • Irish: ábharaíoch — of or concerning materialism
  • Polish: materialistyczny — of or concerning materialism
  • Portuguese: materialista — of or concerning materialism
  • Romanian: materialist — of or concerning materialism
  • Russian: материалисти́ческий (materialistíčeskij) — of or concerning materialism
  • Spanish: materialista — of or concerning materialism
  • Volapük: stöfimik — of or concerning materialism
  • Burmese: ရုပ်ဝါဒီ (rup-wadi) — someone who is materialistic
  • Catalan: materialista — someone who is materialistic
  • Chinese Mandarin: 唯物主義者 /唯物主义者 (wéiwùzhǔyìzhě) — someone who is materialistic
  • Dutch: materialist — someone who is materialistic
  • Finnish: materialisti — someone who is materialistic
  • French: matérialiste — someone who is materialistic
  • Georgian: მატერიალისტი (maṭerialisṭi) — someone who is materialistic
  • German: Materialist — someone who is materialistic
  • German: Materialistin — someone who is materialistic
  • Greek: υλιστής (ylistís) — someone who is materialistic
  • Ido: materialisto — someone who is materialistic
  • Irish: ábharaí — someone who is materialistic
  • Irish: duine saolta — someone who is materialistic
  • Italian: materialista — someone who is materialistic
  • Polish: materialista — someone who is materialistic
  • Polish: materialistka — someone who is materialistic
  • Portuguese: materialista — someone who is materialistic
  • Romanian: materialist — someone who is materialistic
  • Romanian: materialistă — someone who is materialistic
  • Russian: материали́ст (materialíst) — someone who is materialistic
  • Russian: материали́стка (materialístka) — someone who is materialistic
  • Spanish: materialista — someone who is materialistic
  • Chinese Mandarin: 唯物主義的 /唯物主义的 (wéiwùzhǔyìde) — follower of philosophical materialism
  • Dutch: materialist — follower of philosophical materialism
  • Finnish: materialisti — follower of philosophical materialism
  • French: matérialiste — follower of philosophical materialism
  • German: Materialist — follower of philosophical materialism
  • German: Materialistin — follower of philosophical materialism
  • Irish: ábharaí — follower of philosophical materialism
  • Irish: duine saolta — follower of philosophical materialism
  • Polish: materialista — follower of philosophical materialism
  • Polish: materialistka — follower of philosophical materialism
  • Portuguese: materialista — follower of philosophical materialism
  • Russian: материали́ст (materialíst) — follower of philosophical materialism
  • Russian: материали́стка (materialístka) — follower of philosophical materialism