zeitgeists
Spirits of times
Zeitgeists is the plural of zeitgeist, the spirit or mood of a particular era—the shared attitudes, beliefs, and cultural climate that define a period: The zeitgeists of the 1960s and 1980s could hardly have been more different.
From German, literally "time spirit." The plural appears when comparing or contrasting different eras.
Soul, mood, or liquor
- moodPrevailing emotional condition
- ethosCollective moral character
- milieuSocial or cultural surroundings
- atmosphereGaseous layer around planets
climate · tenor · temper · mindset · sensibility · consciousness · attitude · outlook
Prevailing directions of change
- currentsDirectional flows of movement
- movementsChanges in position
- shiftsMoves or work periods
- changesAlterations or transitions
transformations · upheavals · anxieties · aspirations · values · beliefs · ideologies · norms
Distinct historical period
- epochDistinct historical period
- ageDuration of existence
- periodPunctuation ending sentences
- momentBrief period of time
generation · decade · century · movement · revolution · renaissance · enlightenment · modernity
Distorting reality for emotion
- romanticismEmotional, imaginative worldview
- modernismFavoring contemporary approaches
- surrealismIrrational, dreamlike aesthetic
- avant-gardeInnovative cultural pioneers
dada · futurism · minimalism · postmodernism · impressionism · realism · symbolism · aesthetic
spirit
Soul, mood, or liquor
- moodPrevailing emotional condition
- ethosCollective moral character
- milieuSocial or cultural surroundings
atmosphere · climate · tenor · temper · mindset · sensibility · consciousness · attitude · outlook · worldview
trends
Prevailing directions of change
changes · transformations · upheavals · anxieties · aspirations · values · beliefs · ideologies · norms · attitudes
era
Distinct historical period
moment · generation · decade · century · movement · revolution · renaissance · enlightenment · modernity · postmodernity
expressionism
Distorting reality for emotion
- romanticismEmotional, imaginative worldview
- modernismFavoring contemporary approaches
- surrealismIrrational, dreamlike aesthetic
avant-garde · dada · futurism · minimalism · postmodernism · impressionism · realism · symbolism · aesthetic · manifesto
zeitgeistseternal truths
Unchanging fundamental realities
universal constants · timeless values · perennial philosophy · classical ideals
zeitgeistsanachronisms
Things misplaced in time
archaisms · atavisms · nostalgia · traditionalism · antiquarianism