rhizoverbBeta
DictionarycultureShared ways of life
noun

culture

KUL-chur/ˈkʌltʃər/

A group's cultivated ways of thinking, living, and expressing itself.

Food, language, and music all reflect the culture of a community.

Multigenerational Mexican family preparing traditional food together at home table in contemporary clothing.
Etymology
cultLatinto tend, cultivate
+ureLatinact or process

Culture first named the process of cultivating land. Cultivation then became an image for educating and refining the mind, before the word broadened to a people's collective customs and achievements.

In context

History Scope4:48
abandon their culture, their customs, their whole way of life and replace it with the Mongol’s culture, customs, and way of life.
The Rise and Fall of the Mongol Empire

More examples

  • The company encourages a culture of trust and cooperation.
  • Different cultures have different traditions for welcoming guests.
  • The museum brings art and culture into everyday life.

Forms

culture · cultures

cultural adjective — Relating to shared customs, beliefs, or arts.

cultured adjective — Having developed knowledge and appreciation of arts.

Similar words

customs
Focuses on established practices rather than a group's entire way of life.
ethos
Emphasizes a group's guiding values rather than its traditions or arts.