monoculture

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noun mono·cul·ture \ ˈmä-nə-ˌkəl-chər \

Definition of monoculture

1 a :the cultivation or growth of a single crop or organism especially on agricultural or forest land

b :a crop or a population of a single kind of organism grown on land in monoculture

c :growth consisting of a single crop, plant, or organism

The plant forms a thick monoculture that cuts down on the variety of plants and birdlife in the marsh …
—James Gorman

2 :a culture dominated by a single element :a prevailing culture marked by homogeneity

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monocultural

play \ˌmä-nə-ˈkəlch-rəl, -ˈkəl-chə-\ adjective

Recent Examples of monoculture from the Web

Going native The spread of monoculture forests isn’t the only threat to biodiversity in China.

— michael holtz, The Christian Science Monitor, "China spent $100 billion on reforestation. So why does it have 'green deserts'?," 28 June 2017
Well, a lot of food is made cheaply and from monocultures of corn and wheat and soy.

— joe pinsker, The Atlantic, "Grocery Stores: An American Miracle," 25 May 2017
Everyone is talking about the end of the monoculture.

— jim mclauchlin, latimes.com, "Pop culture, considered: Chuck Klosterman on his new book of essays," 16 May 2017
As any species of plant approaches a monoculture, diseases and/or insects become a limiting factor in population dynamics.

— d.j. scully, Cincinnati.com, "Here are options to Bradford or callery pear trees," 15 May 2017
Irish cultivators were at the cutting edge of technology, adopting the plow, monoculture and little genetic variation between plants.

— raj patel, New York Times, "Have a Banana. On Second Thought, Don’t.," 14 Apr. 2017
The combination of the small number of students, the close supervision of professors, and the apparent monoculture has led to a system of self-perpetuation rather than of experimentation.

— richard brody, The New Yorker, "A Documentary that Explains the Dearth of Innovative Young French Filmmakers," 9 Mar. 2017
Traditionally, the Parks Department has worked to avoid floral monocultures---homogenous plant populations---by shaking things up and growing nonnatives throughout the city.

— neel patel, Wired News, "Vivid Map Pinpoints Every Street Tree in NYC," 21 Apr. 2015
As monocultures, tree farms are far more vulnerable to pest infestations.

— alex steffen, WIRED, "Counterpoint: Dangers of Focusing Solely on Climate Change," 19 May 2008

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'monoculture.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of monoculture

1901

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See words that rhyme with monoculture Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about monoculture

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monoculture

Definition of monoculture

monocultural

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First Known Use of monoculture

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monoculture

Definition of monoculture

monocultural

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First Known Use of monoculture

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