cultural
Americanadjective
adjective
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of or relating to artistic or social pursuits or events considered to be valuable or enlightened
-
of or relating to a culture or civilization
-
(of certain varieties of plant) obtained by specialized breeding
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of cultural
Explanation
The adjective cultural comes from the noun "culture" but has several, subtly different meanings, depending on context. The chief meaning is anything having to do human intellectual or creative output. The word cultural is often used as a synonym for "ethnic," as in, "cultural diversity," which means a variety of people. But it also means having to do with the arts and creativity. When you move, you'll want to move somewhere with a vibrant cultural life—lots of museums, libraries, and concert halls. In the middle is a term like "cultural anthropology," which is the study of a population's work, arts, lifestyles, and ways of interacting.
Vocabulary lists containing cultural
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“From a cultural and marketing standpoint,” much of the ETF industry’s product development over the last year has been “highly speculative” or akin to gambling, Nadig said.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 10, 2026
In “Beowulf” and other works, these wetlands have also offered a useful literary metaphor as keepers of cultural memory and symbols of repressed terrors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
Cristian Mungiu’s ‘Fjord’ follows a Romanian-Norwegian couple accused of abusing their children, placing clashing cultural values at the center of a courtroom drama.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
At the heart of the cultural centre is a 160-seat auditorium featuring a year-round film programme.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
What cultural background do the white kids in school have?
From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
