What does cultural mean?
Cultural is an adjective describing anything that relates to culture — the shared ideas, beliefs, customs, languages, and practices of a particular group or society. It appears constantly in discussions of identity and community: we speak of cultural heritage passed down through generations, cultural diversity within societies, and cultural exchange between nations. A second major sense concerns the arts and intellectual life, so a concert hall or literary festival may be described as part of a city's cultural life. The word is neutral in tone but often carries positive connotations of enrichment, sophistication, and shared human achievement. It is typically used attributively, as in 'a cultural tradition' or 'cultural values'. Derived ultimately from the Latin verb colere, meaning to cultivate or inhabit, the term reflects its agricultural roots: just as farming tends the land, culture tends the mind and society. Understanding this word is essential for engaging with modern conversations about identity, migration, education, and the arts.
Relating to the ideas, customs, arts, and social behaviour of a particular people, society, or group.
"Festivals are an important expression of cultural identity."
Most frequently used attributively, as in 'cultural norms' or 'cultural background'.
Relating to the arts and to intellectual or artistic activity and its appreciation.
"The government increased funding for cultural programmes such as theatres and museums."
In this sense the word often implies engagement with the fine arts rather than popular entertainment.
The word 'cultural' only entered common English usage in the 19th century — before then, 'culture' meant tilling the soil, not attending the opera.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cultural
Cultural derives from 'culture', which comes from the Latin cultura, meaning cultivation or tending, itself formed from the past participle stem of colere (to till, inhabit, or worship). Originally applied to the raising of crops, the noun was extended by metaphor in the early modern period to mean the cultivation of the mind and manners, and later the whole way of life of a people — a development associated especially with 18th- and 19th-century thought. The adjective 'cultural' emerged as English usage broadened in the 19th century. Cognate words sharing the same Latin root include cultivate, cultivation, and acculturation.
Related word forms
How cultural is actually used
Used in both formal academic contexts (anthropology, sociology) and everyday speech. In phrases like 'cultural event' or 'cultural centre', it carries a connotation of the fine arts and highbrow activity; in anthropology it refers more broadly to any shared pattern of behaviour. Often used attributively ('a cultural landmark') rather than predicatively.
Easily confused with cultural
Agricultural relates specifically to farming and cultivation of land, whereas cultural relates to the customs, arts, and ideas of a society.