Materialistically

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a fashion that values monetary possessions and material goods above all else
2. By emphasizing the significance of physical wealth rather than any non-material aspects of life
3. In a way that prioritizes tangible assets and financial gain over other values

Etymology: "Materialistically" is an inflected form: it is the adverb built from "materialistic" by adding "-ally" to it, and that adjective is itself "material" with the suffix "-istic." The chain of suffixes has deep roots in Ancient Greek. The Greek "-ῐ́ζω" (-izo) and "-τής" (-tes) combined into "-ῐστής" (-istes), which passed into Latin as "-ista" and then into English as "-ist," meaning a person who practises or follows something. The adjectival ending comes from Latin "-icus," which became "-ic" in English, while "-istic" was built by joining that to "-ist." The "-ally" ending descends from Proto-Germanic "*-līkō," which gave Old English "-līċe" and Middle English "-ly" and then "-ally" when "-ic" was present in the base word. The base "material" comes from Latin "materialis," from "materia," meaning matter or substance. The idea of focusing on physical goods and money rather than other values follows from the sense of "material" as relating to physical matter, set against spiritual or intellectual concerns.