cultural
Americanadjective
adjective
-
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.
Throughout July, The Swell is celebrating the lasting cultural inspiration of animator Hayao Miyazaki and the legendary films he created with Studio Ghibli.
From Salon • Jul. 8, 2026
Not afraid of being too inside baseball, she turns a spotlight onto the backstage realities of an endangered cultural scene that, by the evidence of this play alone, is too wonderful to abandon.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 8, 2026
Bringing the constraints of cultural anthropology back into biomolecular analysis allows other reversals to emerge.
From Science Daily • Jul. 7, 2026
He says commonhold will require "a bit of a cultural change" and that people will need to view themselves as "stewards" of their building.
From BBC • Jul. 7, 2026
The entire group, twelve teens from across colonial Canada, were headed out on a cultural excursion.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
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.
