culture

1 of 2

noun

cul·​ture ˈkəl-chər 

1

a

: the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group

also : the characteristic features of everyday existence (such as diversions or a way of life) shared by people in a place or time

popular culture

Southern culture

b

: the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution or organization

a corporate culture focused on the bottom line

c

: the set of values, conventions, or social practices associated with a particular field, activity, or societal characteristic

studying the effect of computers on print culture

Changing the culture of materialism will take time …

—Peggy O'Mara

d

: the integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon the capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations

2

a

: enlightenment and excellence of taste acquired by intellectual and aesthetic training

b

: acquaintance with and taste in fine arts, humanities, and broad aspects of science as distinguished from vocational and technical skills

a person of culture

3

: the act or process of cultivating living material (such as bacteria or viruses) in prepared nutrient media

also : a product of such cultivation

4

: cultivation, tillage

We ought to blame the culture, not the soil.

—Alexander Pope

5

: the act of developing the intellectual and moral faculties especially by education

6

: expert care and training

beauty culture

culture

2 of 2

verb

cultured; culturing ˈkəlch-riŋ 

ˈkəl-chə-

transitive verb

1

: cultivate

2

a

: to grow in a prepared medium

culture microorganisms

b

: to start a culture from (see culture entry 1 sense 3)

culture soil

Synonyms

Noun

• accomplishment
• civilization
• couth
• cultivation
• polish
• refinement

Verb

• crop
• cultivate
• dress
• grow
• promote
• raise
• rear
• tend

Examples of culture in a Sentence

Noun

In this new view, genes allow the human mind to learn, remember, imitate, imprint language, absorb culture and express instincts. —Matt Ridley, Time, 2 June 2003

Such an explanation seems sensible to a technologically advanced and ruthlessly competitive culture like our own, where anybody who fails to get at least a college degree … risks spending a life busing tables or telemarketing. —Natalie Angier, New York Times, 2 July 2002

Underlying the question "Is this as good as it gets?" was a female j'accuse—against a consumer culture where values like caring had been severely discounted. —Susan Faludi, Newsweek, 8 Jan. 2001

a study of Greek language and culture

Her art shows the influence of pop culture.

It's important to learn about other cultures.

The company's corporate culture is focused on increasing profits.

an area that has been criticized for its lack of culture

Verb

The virus is cultured in the laboratory from samples of infected tissue.

culture bacteria in laboratory dishes

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

What was your relationship to pop culture as a teen? —Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2024

As other suburban Indiana school board races have become embroiled in culture war battles and heated partisan rhetoric in recent elections, school board races in Hendrick’s County have stayed out of the fray. —Caroline Beck, The Indianapolis Star, 6 Nov. 2024

Verb

This is seen in the challenge of culturing and transplanting metabolically active islet cells, which produce insulin in the pancreas, from donors to recipients. —Peter A Noble, Discover Magazine, 14 Sep. 2024

But only two labs have successfully cultured Asgard cells. —Quanta Magazine, 28 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English, cultivated land, cultivation, from Anglo-French, from Latin cultura, from cultus, past participle — see cult

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Verb

1510, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing culture

• cancel culture
• co-culture
• culture of success
• culture shock
• Maker culture
• self-culture
• tissue culture

Kids Definition

culture

1 of 2 noun

cul·​ture ˈkəl-chər 

1

: cultivation sense 1, tillage

2

: the raising or development of a product or crop by careful attention

bee culture

the culture of grapes

3

: improvement of the mind, tastes, and manners through careful training

4

a

: a particular stage, form, or kind of civilization

ancient Greek culture

b

: the beliefs, social practices, and characteristics of a racial, religious, or social group

c

: the characteristic features of everyday life shared by people in a particular place or time

southern culture

5

: cultivation of living material (as bacteria) in a special usually liquid or jellylike nutrient preparation

also : a product of such cultivation

culture

2 of 2 verb

cultured; culturing ˈkəlch-(ə-)riŋ 

: to grow in a prepared medium

Medical Definition

culture

1 of 2 noun

cul·​ture ˈkəl-chər 

1

a

: the integrated pattern of human behavior that includes thought, speech, action, and artifacts and depends upon the human capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations

b

: the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group

2

a

: the act or process of growing living material (as bacteria or viruses) in prepared nutrient media

b

: a product of cultivation in nutrient media

cultural

ˈkəlch(-ə)-rəl 

adjective

culturally

-rə-lē 

adverb

culture

2 of 2 transitive verb

cultured; culturing ˈkəlch-(ə-)riŋ 

1

: to grow (as microorganisms or tissues) in a prepared medium

2

: to start a culture from

culture soil

also : to make a culture of

culture milk