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.
Walliams and Lucas said they had re-edited the show to "better reflect the changes in the cultural landscape since the show was made".
From BBC ● Nov. 10, 2026
GTA has become a cultural institution despite the criticism, with its content spawning countless online memes and fans around the world referencing its scenes and dialogue.
From Barron's ● Nov. 9, 2026
He counted Pablo Picasso, Jean-Paul Sartre and Le Corbusier as friends, and had imagined a cultural transformation to accompany the political revolution.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
We were so deep in the making of it that its cultural impact will probably never be fully visible to me.
From Slate ● Nov. 6, 2026
All of the songs are rife with musical, cultural, and historical significance.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
