What does philistine mean?
A philistine is someone regarded as uncultured, conventional, or indifferent to art, literature, music, and intellectual life. In its principal modern use, the word is an insulting label for a person whose tastes are considered narrow or whose hostility to cultural expression seems especially obstructive. It may describe a person directly, as in "a self-appointed philistine," or qualify a viewpoint, attitude, or institution: "philistine resistance to modern art." The term is pejorative, but its force varies with tone: it can be a serious cultural criticism or a dismissive rhetorical insult. Historically, Philistine names an ancient people associated with the southern Levant and mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. Today, however, the cultural meaning is much more prominent than the historical one. The word is consequently a vivid example of how the name of a historical people can acquire a lasting figurative significance through literary and intellectual usage.
Uncultured, narrow-minded, or indifferent to artistic, literary, and intellectual pursuits.
"The committee rejected the plan on the grounds that it was too philistine."
Generally pejorative; commonly hyphenated before a noun.
A person considered uncultured or hostile to art, literature, music, or intellectual pursuits.
"He accused his critics of being philistines who feared experimentation."
Used mainly in modern figurative senses; in historical contexts, the capitalized form refers to a member of the ancient Philistine people.
The lowercase plural denotes people criticized for cultural narrowness. The capitalized plural denotes members of the ancient people called the Philistines.
"The novel portrays philistines who regard serious art as an affront to respectable taste."
What began as the name of an ancient people became a timeless accusation of cultural narrowness.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does philistine come from?
The English word comes through Latin Philistinus from Greek Philistinos, forms used in the ancient world to refer to the Philistines; the Greek term was used in the Septuagint for a Hebrew people called Pelishtim. The exact origin and early history of that Hebrew name are uncertain. The modern cultural sense developed through German usage during the nineteenth century, in which a Philistine figuratively denoted a person hostile to culture and intellectual progress, and the expression was subsequently adopted into English.
Related word forms
How philistine is actually used
In modern figurative use, the word is pejorative and is more commonly hyphenated when used attributively, as in "philistine attitude." The proper nouns Philistines and Philistine are used for the ancient people and historical contexts; the lowercase form is standard for the modern cultural sense.
Easily confused with philistine
Philistine refers either to the ancient people associated with the southern Levant or, in modern figurative use, to someone regarded as hostile to culture; Palestinian denotes a person from or relating to Palestine.