cultural capital

American  

[kuhl-cher-uhl kap-i-tl] / ˈkʌl tʃər əl ˈkæp ɪ tl /

noun

1. Sociology. the skills, education, norms, and behaviors acquired by members of a social group that can give them economic and other advantages.

   The accumulation of cultural capital is one route to upward mobility.

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Etymology

Origin of cultural capital

First recorded in 1975–80

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Compare meaning

How does cultural-capital compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• social capital vs. cultural capital

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cultural capital

Manchester has become a kind of cultural capital of cool in recent decades, home to global musical acts like Oasis and the Stone Roses.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

The restrictions have transformed the face of Herat, once known as Afghanistan's cultural capital where female university students outnumbered men before the Taliban government returned.

From Barron's ● Jul. 12, 2026

Now it's become a "cultural capital of the world" and a "really progressive" place, he says, with a prominent gay community.

From BBC ● Apr. 19, 2026

For Steinberg, the campaign has grown beyond just wanting to see movies again in a favorite venue and into something about who truly owns the cultural capital of the city.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 6, 2026

The Exposition Universelle in 1878 is a celebration of Paris’s reemergence as a cultural capital after a time preoccupied with war and recovery.

From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman

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