uncultured

adjective

un·​cul·​tured ˌən-ˈkəl-chərd How to pronounce uncultured (audio)
: not cultured: such as
a
: lacking in education, taste, or refinement
coarse, uncultured people
b
: not grown or produced under artificial conditions
uncultured pathogens

Examples of uncultured in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Inserting two distinct forms of the gene into clusters of uncultured cells, the team discovered that the form of NOVA1 found in H. neanderthalensis created bumpier blobs of brain tissue when cultured, while the form of NOVA1 found in H. sapiens created smooth, spherical clumps. Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 1 Mar. 2023 In Australian vernacular, a larrikin is a mischievous prankster, a loud, uncultured, badly behaved young person given to flouting convention. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Mar. 2023 Associating certain foods with Black culture derives historically from how these foods were once used as symbols in popular media to depict Black people as poor and uncultured following the abolition of slavery. Doha Madani, NBC News, 5 Feb. 2023 Together, in which an uncultured father toils to support his musical prodigy son, doesn’t translate to this American tale, calculated to hang an honorific on a story of black masculine perseverance that many will find unexceptional. Armond White, National Review, 11 Feb. 2022 Gothic art has always played with doubling, and in the movie Starling is the elusive, empathetic, uncultured antithesis to Hannibal Lecter’s extravagant psychopath. Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2021 Cultured butter has a higher fat content (82%-86% vs. 80% for uncultured) and a slightly tangy flavor that has hints of hazelnut. Charlyne Mattox, Country Living, 6 Jan. 2020 But its predecessor in parts of Eurasia, the Neanderthal, a human ancestor that became extinct around 40,000 years ago, has traditionally been regarded as uncultured and behaviorally inferior. Chris Standish, Newsweek, 27 Feb. 2018 The Irish were once thought to be lazy, dumb and prone to criminal behavior The Italians were considered dumb, dirty and uncultured Neanderthals who would rape white women. Michael Harriot, The Root, 25 Jan. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'uncultured.' 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

1555, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of uncultured was in 1555

Dictionary Entries Near uncultured

Cite this Entry

“Uncultured.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/uncultured. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!