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Synonyms

multicultural

American  
[muhl-tee-kuhl-cher-uhl, muhl-tahy-] / ˌmʌl tiˈkʌl tʃər əl, ˌmʌl taɪ- /

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or representing several different cultures or cultural elements.

    a multicultural society.


multicultural British  
/ ˌmʌltɪˈkʌltʃərəl /

adjective

  1. consisting of, relating to, or designed for the cultures of several different races

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of multicultural

First recorded in 1940–45; multi- + cultural

Explanation

Multicultural things are made up of or include more than one ethnic group or culture. Your multicultural food fair might include dishes from Chile, Syria, Sudan, and France. The world is multicultural, and societies in most countries are multicultural. We all need to learn about people whose religions, skin color, histories, and cultures are completely different from ours — you can get this from multicultural education, like a world history class that includes multicultural perspectives. When the word multicultural was first used in the mid-twentieth century, it often referred to Canada. Multi- means "many," and cultural comes from the Latin cultura, "cultivating."

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Vocabulary lists containing multicultural

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.

It may well be true that stitching multicultural communities together requires us to be more curious, inclusive neighbors.

From Slate • May 26, 2026

It is a sentiment widely echoed throughout this multicultural city of 540,000, which leans Democratic.

From Barron's • May 13, 2026

It was this same practicality that pushed her to get a job at the Inner City Cultural Center, a multicultural theater company born in the wake of the Watts Uprising.

From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026

That convention was also where Jackson forever secured his place within the party’s center with his rousing speech urging its old guard to embrace a broader multicultural spectrum, including the queer community.

From Salon • Feb. 22, 2026

Below is a rubric for evaluating multicultural music material including the content of the text, notation, and any recording.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

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