cultural appropriation

[kuhl-cher-uhl uh-proh-pree-ey-shuhn]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

the adoption, usually without acknowledgment, of cultural identity markers from subcultures or minority communities into mainstream culture by people with a relatively privileged status.

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Word History and Origins

Origin of cultural appropriation¹

First recorded in 1965–70

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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.

Hannah, whose gentile mother makes her “not Jewish,” wonders if her wanting a bat mitzvah might be “cultural appropriation.”

From Los Angeles Times

US fashion designer Willy Chavarria has apologised after a shoe he created in collaboration with Adidas Originals was criticised for "cultural appropriation".

From BBC

Cultural appropriation is defined as "the unacknowledged or inappropriate adoption of the customs, practices, ideas, of one people or society by members of a typically more dominant people or society".

From BBC

Since then, many have taken to social media to call out the brand for cultural appropriation — citing everything from the use of the name “Oaxaca,” to the fact that the shoes aren’t even made in Mexico, but evidently manufactured in China.

From Los Angeles Times

The backlash isn’t just about cultural appropriation, but misrepresentation.

From Los Angeles Times

cultural anthropology cultural capital

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