philistine
philistine Lexical Profile
philistine Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A person who is hostile or indifferent to culture and the arts, or who has no understanding of them.
"The art critic dismissed the developer as a philistine who cared only about commercial square footage."
A member of an ancient maritime people who settled on the southern coast of Canaan in the 12th century BC and frequently conflicted with the Israelites (usually capitalized).
"Biblical narratives frequently recount the territorial struggles between the Israelites and the Philistines."
• adjective
Hostile or indifferent to culture, the arts, and intellectual pursuits; smugly commonplace or materialistic.
"The board's philistine attitude toward arts funding led to the closure of the local community theater."
Relating to ancient Philistia, its people, or their culture (usually capitalized).
"Archaeologists uncovered several distinctive bichrome Philistine pottery vessels at the coastal excavation site."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived via Late Latin and Greek from the Hebrew 'Pelishti', denoting an inhabitant of Philistia in ancient southern Canaan. The modern sense of an uncultured person was popularized in 19th-century English by critic Matthew Arnold, adapting German student slang 'Philister' (originally referring to townspeople who clashed with university students in Jena).