Definition (Noun) The spirit or genius which marks the thought or feeling of a period or age. In Context "Nevertheless, it is my belief that from time to time specific topics in social psychology just happen to become the target of dramatic surges of interest, and that this happens almost unaccountably as the Zeitgeist, or spirit of the times, dictates – rather like popular music and the fashions of different generations." Steve Duck, Relating to Others, Second Edition, 1999.