Cultural Revolution

American  

noun

1. a radical sociopolitical movement in China c1966–71, led by Mao Zedong and characterized by military rule, terrorism, purges, restructuring of the educational system, etc.

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Cultural Revolution British  

noun

1. Also called: Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution.  (in China) a mass movement (1965–68), in which the youthful Red Guard played a prominent part. It was initiated by Mao Tse-tung to destroy the power of the bureaucrats and to revolutionize the attitudes and behaviour of the people

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Etymology

Origin of Cultural Revolution

Translation of Chinese wénhuà gémìng

Example Sentences

And the year marked the beginning of the Cultural Revolution in China.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 10, 2026

He entered a much more flexible job market in 1999 after a decade of reforms following the Cultural Revolution.

From Barron's • Jan. 9, 2026

Issued under Deng Xiaoping, Document 19 was often presented to the outside world as a liberalizing gesture, since it criticized the excesses of the Cultural Revolution and permitted “normal religious activities” under state supervision.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 20, 2025

"After the Cultural Revolution, Chinese people for the large part were disillusioned by communism," she told the BBC.

From BBC • Aug. 14, 2025

Before the Cultural Revolution she had been a Model Teacher.

From "Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution" by Ji-li Jiang