Meaning & use
multicultural
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Meanings
adjectivenot comparable
Relating to or including people from several different cultures within one society or group.
Grammar: Used before a noun: a multicultural city. Not usually used after 'very' or in comparisons.
Patterns
- multicultural society
- multicultural education
- multicultural community
London is a very multicultural city.
The school has a multicultural student body.
They live in a multicultural neighborhood with shops from many countries.
adjectivenot comparable
Reflecting or designed for the values and traditions of several cultures.
Grammar: Often describes policies, curricula, or events that actively include multiple cultures.
Patterns
- multicultural policy
- multicultural curriculum
- multicultural festival
The company introduced a multicultural training program.
The city hosts a multicultural festival every summer.
The curriculum aims to be more multicultural.
Common combinations
- multicultural society
- Canada is often described as a multicultural society.
- multicultural education
- Multicultural education helps students understand different backgrounds.
- multicultural city
- Toronto is a multicultural city with many ethnic neighborhoods.
- multicultural festival
- The multicultural festival featured food and music from around the world.
Synonyms and how they differ
- diverse
- Focuses on variety in general, not specifically cultures; 'multicultural' is more precise.
- cosmopolitan
- Suggests international sophistication and mix, often of cities; 'multicultural' is more neutral.
- pluralistic
- More formal and often used in politics or philosophy; 'multicultural' is more common in everyday speech.
Opposites
Word family
- multiculturalism noun
- The policy or practice of giving equal attention to many cultures.
- multiculturally adverb
- In a way that involves several cultures.
- culture noun
- The customs, ideas, and way of life of a group.
Commonly confused: multicultural or intercultural?
multicultural vs intercultural
Intercultural means between or among cultures, focusing on interaction; multicultural means including several cultures within one group or society.
Practice
Choose the sentence that uses 'multicultural' correctly.
Choose one answer.
Option 0 correctly describes a city with people from many cultures. Option 1 contradicts the meaning. Option 2 adds unnecessary information about comparability. Option 3 is a meta-comment, not a natural sentence.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “multicultural”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.