multikulturell
multicultural
Definition & meaning
The adjective "multikulturell" describes a state or a concept involving, representing, or consisting of several different cultures. It is most frequently used to characterize societies, cities, or communities where people of various ethnic, religious, and national backgrounds live together.
In a broader sense, it refers to the coexistence of different cultural traditions and values within a single social environment. It implies that these diverse groups maintain their distinct cultural identities rather than assimilating into a single, dominant culture.
Grammar & Word origin
Grammatically, "multikulturell" is an adjective. It can be used attributively (before a noun) or predicatively (after a verb).
The word is a compound of two parts:
- The prefix "multi-", which originates from the Latin word "multus", meaning "many" or "much".
- The German adjective "kulturell" , which pertains to culture ("Kultur" ).
The term gained significant popularity in political and sociological discourse during the late 20th century to describe the changing demographics of modern Western nations.
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonyms:
- vielkulturell (referring to many cultures)
- pluralistisch (pluralistic, acknowledging more than one principle or group)
- international (involving two or more nations)
- kosmopolitisch (cosmopolitan, familiar with many different countries and cultures)
Antonyms:
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Examples
Die Stadt wirkt sehr multikulturell.adjective
The city seems very multicultural.
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