What does acculturation mean?
Acculturation refers to the process by which people or groups adopt cultural traits, practices, or values from another culture, usually as a result of prolonged contact such as migration, trade, or conquest. It is most commonly encountered in anthropology, sociology, and psychology, where scholars study how immigrants, minorities, and indigenous populations adjust to a dominant culture — for example, learning a new language or adapting to unfamiliar social norms. Crucially, acculturation is not the same as assimilation: it need not involve abandoning one's original identity, and many groups blend old and new traditions rather than replacing them. Psychologists also speak of 'acculturation stress' when describing the strain of adjusting to an unfamiliar environment. The word derives from Latin roots meaning 'toward' plus 'cultivation', reflecting its sense of movement toward another way of life. It remains an essential term in any serious discussion of immigration, identity, and cultural change.
nounThe process by which a person or group adopts the cultural traits or social patterns of another group, typically through prolonged contact. In psychology and anthropology, it also denotes the resulting changes in language, values, and behaviour that occur when different cultures come into sustained contact.
- The process by which individuals or groups adopt the cultural traits of another group through prolonged contact.
- (Anthropology/Psychology) The changes in language, values, and behaviour resulting from continuous first-hand contact between two distinct cultural groups.
"Immigrant families often experience acculturation over two or three generations as they adapt to their new society's customs and language."
"The acculturation of European immigrants in America often took place over several generations."
"Researchers measured levels of acculturation among second-generation teenagers using a standardised questionnaire."
Acculturation was coined in the 1880s to describe what happens when cultures collide — and it turns out you can borrow a new language without ever losing your mother tongue.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of acculturation
Acculturation derives from the Latin prefix 'ad-' (meaning 'toward') combined with 'cultura' (meaning 'cultivation' or 'tilling'), the same root that gives us 'culture'. The word entered English in the late 19th century, drawing on earlier French usage, and was quickly adopted by anthropologists studying how societies change through contact with one another. Its cognates include 'culture', 'cultivation', and 'cultivate', all stemming from the same Latin source.
Related word forms
How acculturation is actually used
Formal register, used chiefly in anthropology, sociology, linguistics, and psychology. Unlike 'assimilation', it does not necessarily imply complete loss of original cultural identity; it is a neutral descriptive term rather than a value judgement.
Easily confused with acculturation
Enculturation is the process of learning one's own culture from birth, while acculturation involves adopting traits from a different culture through contact.
Assimilation implies full absorption into another culture with loss of one's original identity, whereas acculturation can involve partial adaptation while retaining elements of one's own heritage.