ma·te·ri·al·is·tic

[muh-teer-ee-uh-lis-tik]
adjective
1.
excessively concerned with physical comforts or the acquisition of material things rather than spiritual, intellectual, moral, or cultural values.
2.
adhering to the philosophy of materialism (the theory that regards matter as constituting the universe and all its phenomena).

Origin:
materialist + -ic

ma·te·ri·al·is·ti·cal·ly, adverb
an·ti·ma·te·ri·al·is·tic, adjective
an·ti·ma·te·ri·al·is·ti·cal·ly, adverb
non·ma·te·ri·al·is·tic, adjective
non·ma·te·ri·al·is·ti·cal·ly, adverb
sem·i·ma·te·ri·al·is·tic, adjective
un·ma·te·ri·al·is·tic, adjective
un·ma·te·ri·al·is·ti·cal·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To materialistic
00:10
Materialistic has a plethora of syllables.
So is sesquipedalianism. Does it mean:
given to using long words.
opposition to the withdrawal of state support or recognition from an established church, esp. the Anglican Church in 19th-century England.
Collins
World English Dictionary
materialism (məˈtɪərɪəˌlɪzəm) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
1.  interest in and desire for money, possessions, etc, rather than spiritual or ethical values
2.  philosophy idealism Compare dualism See also identity theory the monist doctrine that matter is the only reality and that the mind, the emotions, etc, are merely functions of it
3.  ethics the rejection of any religious or supernatural account of things
 
ma'terialist
 
n, —adj
 
material'istic
 
adj
 
material'istically
 
adv

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

materialistic
1845, from materialist.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
You're not going to take any materialistic things with you.
The inevitable cost of industrialization and trying to pursue a materialistic capitalist dream.
The capital seen on television is a counterfeit of a modern western city, flashy and materialistic.
How this material world can dominate is well demonstrated in the actual materialistic world and science.
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