Definition of monoculture
1a : the cultivation or growth of a single crop or organism especially on agricultural or forest landb : a crop or a population of a single kind of organism grown on land in monoculturec : 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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Recent Examples of monoculture from the Web
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Going native The spread of monoculture forests isn’t the only threat to biodiversity in China.
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Well, a lot of food is made cheaply and from monocultures of corn and wheat and soy.
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Everyone is talking about the end of the monoculture.
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As any species of plant approaches a monoculture, diseases and/or insects become a limiting factor in population dynamics.
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Irish cultivators were at the cutting edge of technology, adopting the plow, monoculture and little genetic variation between plants.
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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.
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Traditionally, the Parks Department has worked to avoid floral monocultures---homogenous plant populations---by shaking things up and growing nonnatives throughout the city.
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As monocultures, tree farms are far more vulnerable to pest infestations.
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
Learn More about monoculture
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See words that rhyme with monoculture Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about monoculture
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