Dictionary

multiculturalism en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˌmʌltɪˈkʌltʃəɹəˌlɪz(ə)m/ (UK)
• (Mid-Atlantic, US) audio
• (Australia) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *mel-der. Proto-Indo-European *ml̥tós? Proto-Italic *moltos Latin multus Latin multīder. Middle English multi- English multi- Proto-Indo-European *kʷelh₁- Proto-Indo-European *-eti Proto-Indo-European *kʷélh₁eti Proto-Italic *kʷelō Latin colō Proto-Indo-European *-tew-? Proto-Indo-European *-r-eh₂? Latin -tūra Latin cultūrader. Middle French cultureder. English culture English -al English multicultural Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íd͏̌d͏̌ō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō) Proto-Indo-European *-mos Proto-Indo-European *-mós Ancient Greek -μός (-mós) Ancient Greek -ισμός (-ismós)der. English -ism English multiculturalism From multicultural + -ism.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) The characteristics of an organization, society, city etc. which has many different ethnic or national cultures mingling freely; political or social policies which support or encourage such coexistence.
   • Near-synonym: polyculturalism (several or many)
   • Something had to replace the threat of communism, and at last a workable substitute is at hand. "Multiculturalism," as the new menace is known, has been denounced in the media recently as the new McCarthyism, the new fundamentalism, even the new totalitarianism – take your choice. 1991 April 8, Barbara Ehrenreich, “Essay: Teach Diversity – with a Smile”, in Time:
   • Earlier this year he said multiculturalism had “failed”, that immigrants needed to “melt” into French society, and that “we do not want ostentatious prayers in the street in France.” 2011 April 7, “On a mat and a prayer”, in The Economist:
   • Career diplomat Conrad Tribble said on Twitter that multiculturalism “is one of our greatest strengths as a country, and I go to that well often as an American diplomat. It’s hard to overstate the global soft power impact of America’s cultural diversity.” 2021 January 19, Jennifer Hansler, Kylie Atwood and Nicole Gaouette, “Pompeo attacks multiculturalism, saying it is ‘not who America is’”, in CNN:
   • Britain has pursued a policy of multiculturalism - allowing people of different cultures to settle without expecting them to integrate into society. 2005 August 3, David Davis MP, Daily Telegraph:
   • The truth is that diversity, a kind of multiculturalism if we want to call it that, is the norm in any society. 1984, David Malouf, A First Place, Vintage, published 2015, page 18:
2. (colloquial, countable, derogatory, qualifier:right-wing, uncountable) The cultural Marxism conspiracy theory.

Forms

Coordinates

monoculturalism · triculturalism · biculturalism

Deriveds

antimulticulturalism

Relateds

multicultural · multiculturally · culturism · multicultured · cosmopolitan

Synonyms

polyculturalism

Translations (62)

ast multiculturalismu (societal idea) · es multiculturalismo (societal idea) · pt multiculturalismo (societal idea) · cmn 多元文化 (societal idea) · th พหุวัฒนธรรมนิยม (societal idea) · ja 多元文化論 (societal idea) · fr multiculturalisme (societal idea) · az multikulturalizm (societal idea) · sc multicurturalismu (societal idea) · ga ilchultúrthacht (societal idea) · yue 多元文化主義 /多元文化主义 (societal idea) · sq multikulturalizmi (societal idea) · fo fjølmentanarstevna (societal idea) · ca multiculturalisme (societal idea) · pl multikulturowość (societal idea) · eo multkulturismo (societal idea) · eu kultura-aniztasun (societal idea) · bg мултикултурали́зъм (societal idea) · cs multikulturalismus (societal idea) · ru многокульту́рность (societal idea) · de Multikulturalismus (societal idea) · ru мультикультурали́зм (societal idea) · ga ilchultúrachas (societal idea) · lt multikultūralizmas (societal idea) · az çoxmədəniyyətlilik (societal idea) · es pluriculturalismo (societal idea) · hy բազմամշակութայնություն (societal idea) · ja 多文化主義 (societal idea) · et mitmekultuurilisus (societal idea) · cy amlddiwylliannaeth (societal idea) · cy amlddiwylliant (societal idea) · ar اَلتَّعَدُّدِيَّةُ اَلثَّقَافِيَّة (societal idea) · ja 多文化 (societal idea) · ko 다문화주의 (societal idea) · no multikulturalisme (societal idea) · ug كۆپ مەدەنىيەتچىلىك (societal idea) · he רב־תרבותיות (societal idea) · fi monikulttuurisuus (societal idea) · mg kolontsaina marolafy (societal idea) · lv multikulturālisms (societal idea) · sv mångkulturalism (societal idea) · it multiculturalismo (societal idea) · hi बहुसंस्कृतिवाद (societal idea) · fo fjølmentan (societal idea) · vi chủ nghĩa đa văn hóa (societal idea) · kn ಬಹುಸಾಂಸ್ಕೃತಿಕತೆ (societal idea) · tr multikültüralizm (societal idea) · ja マルチカルチュラリズム (societal idea) · hu multikulturalizmus (societal idea) · nl multiculturalisme (societal idea) · pl multikulti (societal idea) · kk мәдениеттер алуандығы (societal idea) · ro multiculturalism (societal idea) · pl wielokulturowość (societal idea) · pl multikulturalizm (societal idea) · cmn 多元文化主義 /多元文化主义 (societal idea) · ka მულტიკულტურალიზმი (societal idea) · gl multiculturalismo (societal idea) · el πολυπολιτισμικότητα (societal idea) · tr çokkültürlülük (societal idea) · uk мультикультуралізм (societal idea) · sv multikulturalism (societal idea)