monoculture

[ mon-uh-kuhl-cher ]

noun

1. Agriculture.
   1. Also called mon·o·crop·ping [mon, -, uh, -krop-ing]. the use of land for growing only one type of crop:

      They are making the same mistake as the foresters who seek to replace diverse forests with monocultures.

   2. Also called monocrop. a crop grown in this manner:

      The cultivation of crops, especially monocultures like soy, palm oil, and cocoa, is another significant factor in habitat loss.

2. 1. a way of life, worldview, set of popular media touchstones, etc., that is considered emblematic of a dominant culture:

      The show played an important role in the media monoculture of the 1950s.

   2. a single culture considered with respect to its homogeneity:

      The small island's monoculture changed drastically when it became an international tourist destination.

monoculture

/ ˈmɒnəʊˌkʌltʃə /

noun

1. the continuous growing of one type of crop

Other Words From

• mon·o·cul·tur·al [mon-, uh, -, kuhl, -cher-, uh, l], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of monoculture¹

First recorded in 1910–15; mono- + culture

Example Sentences

In Europe, blended farms that grow wheat or sunflowers between rows of wild cherry and walnut trees, for example, can produce up to 40 percent more than monocultures of the same crops for a given area.

From Science News

The need to move fruit and nut production east, away from increasingly drought-stricken California, may provide an extra push for bringing more trees onto monoculture farms, Lovell says.

From Science News

While industrialized monoculture is the norm among big players, small-scale farmers are more able to incorporate trees into their fields, or bring crops into the forests.

From Science News

The TV series was supposed to be a satire about the tech industry’s myopia and monoculture, not career inspiration.

From Washington Post

She was a bit of monoculture emerging from our ever-fragmented consumption habits.

From Washington Post