materialist

materialist — noun

IPA/məˈtɪəriəlɪst/
KK[mətˈɪriəlɪst]IPA/məˈtɪriəlɪst/
  • materialistsingular
  • materialistsplural

1. Someone whose main goal in life is acquiring wealth and owning things, paying mu

1.nounB2
Definition

Someone whose main goal in life is acquiring wealth and owning things, paying much less attention to relationships, personal growth, or spiritual matters.

Example

Mateo's friends called him a materialist after he spent his bonus on a luxury watch.

noun used as a label: 'called him a materialist'

Amara realised she had become a materialist when she felt ashamed of her simple furniture.

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Common collocations
  • crass materialist
  • shallow materialist
  • materialist values
  • materialist culture
Synonyms
  • consumerist

    more specific to buying and consuming goods rather than a general focus on possessions

  • hedonist

    focuses on pleasure seeking of all kinds, not just material wealth

Antonyms
  • ascetic

    someone who lives simply and avoids material comforts on principle

  • minimalist

    someone who deliberately owns few things

Grammar Patterns

materialist + verb

a(n) + materialist

Usage Note

Frequently used in a critical or disapproving way, directed at someone's priorities rather than their actual wealth.

Common Mistakes

My brother is a materialist person.
My brother is a materialist.
'materialist' as a noun already describes a person; adding 'person' is redundant.

2. A person who adopts the philosophical stance that only physical substances exist

2.nounC1
Definition

A person who adopts the philosophical stance that only physical substances exist — meaning thoughts, emotions, and consciousness all arise from material workings of the body and brain, with no non-material component.

Example

As a philosophical materialist, Kenji argues that consciousness is simply a product of brain activity.

philosophical materialist (formal collocation)

The Greek materialist Democritus taught that everything in the universe is made of tiny atoms.

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Common collocations
  • dialectical materialist
  • philosophical materialist
  • materialist philosopher
Synonyms
  • physicalist

    modern term often used interchangeably, especially in philosophy of mind

  • naturalist

    broader term that includes rejecting supernatural explanations, not just matter-only claims

Antonyms
  • idealist

    believes that reality is fundamentally mental or spiritual, not physical

  • dualist

    believes that both mind and matter exist as separate substances

Grammar Patterns

materialist + verb

a(n) + materialist

Usage Note

Distinct from noun/1 (LOVES POSSESSIONS) — this sense is neutral and belongs to academic or scientific philosophy; it does not carry a disapproving tone.

Common Mistakes

Plato was a materialist.
Democritus was a materialist.
Plato believed in the world of Forms, which are non-material; Democritus is the classical example of a philosophical materialist.
Materialists hate religion.
Materialists reject non-material explanations but may still hold personal beliefs.
philosophical materialism is about ontology, not personal religiosity.

materialist — adjective

IPA/məˈtɪə.ri.ə.lɪst/
KK[mətˈɪriəlɪst]IPA/məˈtɪr.i.ə.lɪst/

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three describe people whose priorities centre on personal gain, but they differ in what kind of gain. A materialist values money, possessions, and physical comfort above all else — the focus is on owning things. A consumerist is a more specific type of materialist whose identity is tied to buying and consuming goods, especially new or branded items. A hedonist, by contrast, seeks pleasure in any form — it could be material luxury, but it could also be fine food, entertainment, travel, or sensory experiences. Materialist is the most common everyday word of the three; consumerist is more common in social criticism; hedonist is broader and sometimes carries a note of self-indulgence. For example: 'His materialist values meant he measured everything by its price tag.' 'The consumerist culture of the city drove people into debt.' 'A hedonist might spend their money on a gourmet dinner rather than a new car.'

materialist ↗consumerist ↗hedonist ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • materialist philosophy
  • materialist view
  • materialist approach
  • materialist values
  • materialist culture

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'materialist' came into English in the 1700s from French 'matérialiste', which was built from Latin 'materia' meaning 'matter, substance, wood'. It was first used to label philosophers who believed that only physical matter exists — the opposite of 'idealist'. By the 1800s, it had also developed the everyday meaning of a person who cares too much about money and possessions, reflecting the idea that such a person acts 'as if' material goods are all that matters.