philistine

UK: 'philistine', 'Philistine': /ˈfɪlɪˌstaɪn/

US: /ˈfɪləˌstin, -ˌstaɪn, fɪˈlɪstɪn, -tin/

US: (fil′ə stēn′, -stīn′, fi lis′tin, -tēn)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

phil•is•tine /ˈfɪləˌstin, -ˌstaɪn, fɪˈlɪstɪn, -tin/   n. [countable* sometimes: Philistine]

1. one who is lacking in culture, good taste, etc.

adj. 

2. lacking in culture, good taste, etc.;
   uncultivated.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

phil•is•tine  (fil′ə stēn′, -stīn′, fi lis′tin, -tēn), n. 

1. (sometimes cap.) a person who is lacking in or hostile or smugly indifferent to cultural values, intellectual pursuits, aesthetic refinement, etc., or is contentedly commonplace in ideas and tastes.
2. Language Varieties, Ancient History (cap.) a native or inhabitant of ancient Philistia.

adj. 

3. (sometimes cap.) lacking in or hostile to culture.
4. smugly commonplace or conventional.
5. Ancient History (cap.) of or belonging to the ancient Philistines.

• Hebrew pəlishtīm
• Late Greek Philistînoi
• Late Latin Philistīnī (plural)
• 1350–1400; Middle English

phil•is•tin•ism  (fil′ə stē niz′əm, -stī-, fi lis′tə niz′əm, -tē-), n.  Synonyms

• 1. Babbitt, vulgarian.
• 3. lowbrow.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

Philistine / ˈfɪlɪˌstaɪn/ noun

1. a person who is unreceptive to or hostile towards culture, the arts, etc; a smug boorish person
2. a member of the non-Semitic people who inhabited ancient Philistia

adjective

1. (sometimes not capital) boorishly uncultured
2. of or relating to the ancient Philistines

Philistinism / ˈfɪlɪstɪˌnɪzəm/ noun