material culture
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of material culture
First recorded in 1925–30
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How does material-culture compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
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.
Each bay presents an aspect of samurai life, collectively producing a robust representation of Edo-period visual and material culture.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 7, 2026
That emphasis on empathy shapes Meredith's broader goal of bringing attention back to the laborers behind ancient material culture.
From Science Daily • Dec. 16, 2025
The burials had scanty grave goods—a bead and a dog paw—so it’s hard to connect them to any particular material culture.
From Science Magazine • Jun. 19, 2024
The pictures record L.A. and vicinity, the sculptures connect to Mesoamerican material culture.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 20, 2023
The remaining type of variation among Polynesian societies to be considered involves tools and other aspects of material culture.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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.
