culture
1cul·ture
noun \ˈkəl-chər\Definition of CULTURE
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: the act of developing the intellectual and moral faculties especially by education
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: expert care and training <beauty culture>
4
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
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a : the integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon the 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; also : the characteristic features of everyday existence (as diversions or a way of life} shared by people in a place or time <popular culture> <southern culture> c : the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution or organization <a corporate culture focused on the bottom line> d : 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>
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: the act or process of cultivating living material (as bacteria or viruses) in prepared nutrient media; also : a product of such cultivation
See Examples of CULTURE
- 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
- 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
- There is an Arctic Indian tribe, the Gwich'in—the northernmost Indians in the United States—who base their diet and culture on the caribou. —Jimmy Carter, National Geographic Traveler, October 2001
- 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
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Origin of CULTURE
Middle English, cultivated land, cultivation, from Anglo-French, from Latin cultura, from cultus, past participle
First Known Use: 15th century
Related to CULTURE
Related Words: education, erudition, intellectualism, intellectuality, knowledge, learning, literacy, scholarship; cosmopolitanism, sophistication, urbanity; breeding, genteelness, gentility, manners; class, elegance, grace, taste; civility, courteousness, courtesy, politeness
Near Antonyms: ignorance, illiteracy; parochialism, provincialism, rusticity, unsophistication; boorishness, churlishness, clownishness, coarseness, crudeness, vulgarity
Other Agriculture/Gardening Terms
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