Giving greater importance to relationships, purpose, or experience than to owning and displaying possessions.
Reach for it when praising values or a lifestyle without implying hostility to all comfort or property
Their nonmaterialistic celebration centered on stories, music, and a meal cooked together.
| everyday | |
|---|---|
| warm |
|
| professional | |
| literary |
everyday
Fits when the visible quality is lack of show or status display
Careful An unpretentious person may still care greatly about acquiring things privately.
warm
simple-living
Fits when deliberate moderation in possessions shapes daily practice
Careful Simple living describes habits, not necessarily the values behind them.
professional
experience-oriented
Fits when time and activities are favored over purchases
Careful Someone can prefer experiences while still measuring status through expensive consumption.
professional
values-led
Fits when choices consistently follow stated principles rather than consumption
Careful Every materialist also has values; the phrase does not identify which priorities lead.
literary
spiritually minded
Fits when inner or sacred concerns clearly take precedence
Careful The phrase assigns a spiritual belief that nonmaterialism does not require.
literary
unmaterialistic
Fits when a direct uncommon equivalent fits the surrounding style
Careful The rarer prefix form adds little clarity for most readers.
nonmaterialistic outlook
Her nonmaterialistic outlook made time with friends feel abundant.
nonmaterialistic lifestyle
A nonmaterialistic lifestyle left the couple with fewer possessions to maintain.
nonmaterialistic values
Their nonmaterialistic values shaped gifts of time rather than luxury goods.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Updated
Your browser isn't saving lists, so this one will be cleared when you leave the page.