Definition of culture
1 : cultivation, tillage We ought to blame the culture, not the soil. — Alexander Pope
2 : the act of developing the intellectual and moral faculties especially by education
3 : expert care and training beauty culture
4a : enlightenment and excellence of taste acquired by intellectual and aesthetic trainingb : acquaintance with and taste in fine arts, humanities, and broad aspects of science as distinguished from vocational and technical skills a person of culture
5a : the integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon the capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generationsb : 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 culturec : the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution or organization a corporate culture focused on the bottom lined : 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
6 : the act or process of cultivating living material (such as bacteria or viruses) in prepared nutrient media; also : a product of such cultivation
From the M-W Editors
Examples of culture in a Sentence
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
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
Recent Examples of culture from the Web
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Located at 7 Ludlow, Metrograph is a two-screen theater that aims to bring cinephile culture to New York’s downtown set.
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Salesforce operates in the fast-changing digital world, but the fast-growing global company is focused on having a consistent culture.
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The Met has strict rules that apply to such situations, and, in any case, the barriers that once existed between museums and commercial galleries have been crumbling for years, along with many other traditional boundaries in art and culture.
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All eyes are on Chicago, where the restaurant scene booms and an emerging cocktail culture has seduced one of the biggest names in the business.
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Constant talk of social change doesn’t seem to have impaired the gorgeous clothes, the impeccable manners, the elaborate dinners, the ritualized service and the sense of community that have made the series irresistible to audiences across cultures.
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The store moved into the Heights in 2012, opening up on 19th Street and adding a splash of punk rock culture to an area lined with boutiques and antique shops.
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American culture can't accept the reality of a woman who does not want to be a mother.
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Must read science and geek culture site Io9.com illustrates how past dreams and nightmares have gone from fact to fiction.
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Origin and Etymology of culture
Middle English, cultivated land, cultivation, from Anglo-French, from Latin cultura, from cultus, past participle —see cult
First Known Use: 15th century
Examples of culture in a Sentence
The virus is cultured in the laboratory from samples of infected tissue.
culture bacteria in laboratory dishes
Recent Examples of culture from the Web
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Australia is the last place in the world where pearls are cultured in wild oysters, using mollusks not from hatcheries but handpicked by divers from the deep ocean floor.
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The secondary metabolites kept pesky contaminates at bay, allowing Cotter to better culture his fungi for his business.
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Human embryonic stem cells were first cultured in 1998; nearly twenty years later, basic assumptions about cell behavior are still routinely overturned.
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Keeping close tabs on this and the rest of the world’s progress in culturing animal protein are the New Harvest organization in Manhattan and its CEO, Isha Datar.
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The problem is compounded by the fact that hep C has yet to be cultured outside the human body, a key to the development of effective medications for diseases.
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Origin and Etymology of culture
see 1culture
First Known Use: 1510
Other Biology Terms
CULTURE Defined for English Language Learners
Definition of culture for English Language Learners
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: the beliefs, customs, arts, etc., of a particular society, group, place, or time
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: a particular society that has its own beliefs, ways of life, art, etc.
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: a way of thinking, behaving, or working that exists in a place or organization (such as a business)
Definition of culture for English Language Learners
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: to grow (something) in controlled conditions
CULTURE Defined for Kids
culture
playDefinition of culture for Students
1 : cultivation 1
2 : the raising or development (as of a crop or product) by careful attention grape culture
3 : the appreciation and knowledge of the arts (as music, dance, and painting)
4 : the habits, beliefs, and traditions of a particular people, place, or time Greek culture
Medical Dictionary
Medical Definition of culture
1a: 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 generationsb: the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group
2a: the act or process of growing living material (as bacteria or viruses) in prepared nutrient mediab: a product of cultivation in nutrient media
culture
Medical Definition of culture
cultured
;culturing
\ˈkəlch-(ə-)riŋ\play1: 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
Learn More about culture
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See words that rhyme with culture Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for culture Spanish Central: Translation of culture Nglish: Translation of culture for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of culture for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about culture
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