monoculture
noun
mono·cul·ture
ˈmä-nə-ˌkəl-chər 
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
James Gorman2
: a culture dominated by a single element : a prevailing culture marked by homogeneity
Examples of monoculture in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In the past thirty-five years, America’s monoculture has shattered into a thousand subcultures, putting Ruscha in a bind.
—Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 2 Oct. 2023
The poor guy can’t give an interview without the reporter asking him to once again expound on his distaste for the Marvel franchise, since that will provoke a massive fandom into attacking him, which in turn leads to Criterion collectors denouncing the current blockbuster monoculture.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2023
In a fractured, algorithmic music industry, Swift is a final exemplar of monoculture, a figure recognizable by most.
—Maria Sherman, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2023
The talent hasn’t gone anywhere, but the monoculture—his theme, his muse, and his one true medium—played a nasty trick on us all.
—Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 2 Oct. 2023
But don’t let Python and SQL’s rankings fool you: Programming is still far from becoming a monoculture.
—IEEE Spectrum, 29 Aug. 2023
Biodiversity matters because many species cannot survive in a monoculture.
—Lindsay Crudele, BostonGlobe.com, 26 July 2023
The discussion also touches on the song’s musical merits, whether the conservative media ecosystem is the last monoculture, how the pop charts are becoming a key culture-war battleground, and much more.
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 25 Aug. 2023
As monocultures such as palm oil were encroaching on communities, the Utz Che’ Community Forestry Association in 2006 started the first of some 40 programs across the country.
—Cameron Pugh, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 Aug. 2023
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Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 2 Oct. 2023
The poor guy can’t give an interview without the reporter asking him to once again expound on his distaste for the Marvel franchise, since that will provoke a massive fandom into attacking him, which in turn leads to Criterion collectors denouncing the current blockbuster monoculture.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2023
In a fractured, algorithmic music industry, Swift is a final exemplar of monoculture, a figure recognizable by most.
—Maria Sherman, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2023
The talent hasn’t gone anywhere, but the monoculture—his theme, his muse, and his one true medium—played a nasty trick on us all.
—Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 2 Oct. 2023
But don’t let Python and SQL’s rankings fool you: Programming is still far from becoming a monoculture.
—IEEE Spectrum, 29 Aug. 2023
Biodiversity matters because many species cannot survive in a monoculture.
—Lindsay Crudele, BostonGlobe.com, 26 July 2023
The discussion also touches on the song’s musical merits, whether the conservative media ecosystem is the last monoculture, how the pop charts are becoming a key culture-war battleground, and much more.
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 25 Aug. 2023
As monocultures such as palm oil were encroaching on communities, the Utz Che’ Community Forestry Association in 2006 started the first of some 40 programs across the country.
—Cameron Pugh, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 Aug. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'monoculture.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1901, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Dictionary Entries Near monoculture
Cite this Entry
“Monoculture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monoculture. Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.
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More from Merriam-Webster on monoculture
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for monoculture
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about monoculture
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