Zeitgeist (noun)

1. The general intellectual, moral, and cultural climate of an era.
2. The dominant set of attitudes and ideas that characterize a particular period in history.

Origin:

From german, literally meaning "time spirit" or "spirit of the age".

Examples:

1. The novel captured the zeitgeist of the 1960s counterculture movement.
2. The artist's work reflects the zeitgeist of our current political climate.
3. The company's new product was perfectly in tune with the zeitgeist of the market.
4. The zeitgeist of the era was one of optimism and progress.
5. The zeitgeist of the 1920s was characterized by a sense of liberation and hedonism.