culture

[kuhl-cher]

noun

1. the quality in a person or society that arises from a concern for what is regarded as excellent in arts, letters, manners, scholarly pursuits, etc.

2. that which is excellent in the arts, manners, etc.

3. a particular form or stage of civilization, as that of a certain nation or period.

   Greek culture.

4. development or improvement of the mind by education or training.

5. the behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular group of people, as a social, ethnic, professional, or age group (usually used in combination).

   the youth culture; the drug culture.

6. the shared beliefs, behaviors, or social environment connected with a particular aspect of society.

   the rape culture on campus; the culture of poverty; a culture of celebrity worship.

7. the values, typical practices, and goals of a business or other organization, especially a large corporation.

   Their corporate culture frowns on avoiding risk.

8. Anthropology.,  the sum total of ways of living built up by a group of human beings and transmitted from one generation to another.

9. Biology.

   1. the cultivation of microorganisms, as bacteria, or of tissues, for scientific study, medicinal use, etc.

   2. the product or growth resulting from such cultivation.

10. the act or practice of cultivating the soil; tillage.

11. the raising of plants or animals, especially with a view to their improvement.

12. the product or growth resulting from such cultivation.

verb (used with object)

cultured, culturing 

1. to subject to culture; cultivate.

2. Biology.

   1. to grow (microorganisms, tissues, etc.) in or on a controlled or defined medium.

   2. to introduce (living material) into a culture medium.

culture

/ ˈkʌltʃə /

noun

1. the total of the inherited ideas, beliefs, values, and knowledge, which constitute the shared bases of social action

2. the total range of activities and ideas of a group of people with shared traditions, which are transmitted and reinforced by members of the group

   the Mayan culture

3. a particular civilization at a particular period

4. the artistic and social pursuits, expression, and tastes valued by a society or class, as in the arts, manners, dress, etc

5. the enlightenment or refinement resulting from these pursuits

6. the attitudes, feelings, values, and behaviour that characterize and inform society as a whole or any social group within it

   yob culture

7. the cultivation of plants, esp by scientific methods designed to improve stock or to produce new ones

8. stockbreeding the rearing and breeding of animals, esp with a view to improving the strain

9. the act or practice of tilling or cultivating the soil

10. biology

    1. the experimental growth of microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi, in a nutrient substance (culture medium), usually under controlled conditions See also culture medium

    2. a group of microorganisms grown in this way

verb

1. to cultivate (plants or animals)

2. to grow (microorganisms) in a culture medium

culture

1. A growth of microorganisms, viruses, or tissue cells in a specially prepared nutrient medium under supervised conditions.

2. The totality of socially transmitted behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human work and thought. Culture is learned and shared within social groups and is transmitted by nongenetic means.

1. To grow microorganisms, viruses, or tissue cells in a nutrient medium.

culture

1. The sum of attitudes, customs, and beliefs that distinguishes one group of people from another. Culture is transmitted, through language, material objects, ritual, institutions, and art, from one generation to the next.

Culture also refers to refined music, art, and literature; one who is well versed in these subjects is considered “cultured.”

Anthropologists consider that the requirements for culture (language use, tool making, and conscious regulation of sex) are essential features that distinguish humans from other animals.

Other Word Forms

• cultureless adjective
• culturist noun
• anticulture noun
• interculture noun
• multiculture noun
• nonculture noun
• preculture noun
• superculture noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of culture¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English: “tilling, place tilled,” from Anglo-French, Middle French, from Latin cultūra “cultivation, agriculture, tillage, care.” See cult, -ure

Word History and Origins

Origin of culture¹

C15: from Old French, from Latin cultūra a cultivating, from colere to till; see _cult

Synonym Study

See education.

Example Sentences

Premier League referee Anthony Taylor has criticised the "expectation of perfection" culture that officials are subject to, and says his family no longer go to his matches because of the abuse he receives.

Read more on BBC

“Not just the technical, or work culture, but he’s very financial. He was the only one of his peers who increased his holding in his company,” which he did through buybacks.

Read more on Barron's

"Collaborating with different cultures, different backgrounds, it's a really interesting environment to be involved in every day," he says.

Read more on BBC

Key to the aesthetic and historical authenticity of “Aztec Batman” was the knowledge that Alejandro Díaz Barriga, one of the most prominent historians of Aztec culture, shared with the production.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Intended as a direct jab at Labour, this also serves as a critique of successive Tory administrations that ignored the economy while trying to woo liberal opinion by unilaterally disarming in various culture wars.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• ability 
• art 
• civilization 
• fashion 
• perception 
• practice 
• science 
• skill 

When To Use

What does culture mean?

Culture is a collection of behaviors and beliefs associated with a particular group, as in Ming adores Mexican culture, especially Día de Muertos, or Day of the Dead.Culture is also the quality of a person or group of people that comes from appreciating excellence in the arts, fashion, manners, and other characteristics of a society, as in A person of culture, Damon frequently attends the symphony and theater.To culture someone is to expose them to culture, particularly to one that is not their own.In biology and agriculture, a culture is a specific, enclosed group of organisms, such as a cell culture or a group of plants or animals that are separated from the rest.Related to this sense, to culture means to grow such a group of organisms.Example: The culture at my office is one of respect and interest in each others’ projects.