acculturation

noun

ac·cul·tur·a·tion | \ ə-ˌkəl-chə-ˈrā-shən

, a-\

Definition of acculturation

1 : cultural modification of an individual, group, or people by adapting to or borrowing traits from another culture the acculturation of immigrants to American life also : a merging of cultures as a result of prolonged contact

2 : the process by which a human being acquires the culture of a particular society from infancy

Other Words from acculturation What is the difference between acculturation, assimilation, and amalgamation? More Example Sentences Learn More about acculturation

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Other Words from acculturation

acculturational \ -shnəl

, -shə-nᵊl \ adjective

acculturative \ ə-ˈkəl-chə-ˌrā-tiv

, a- \ adjective

What is the difference between acculturation, assimilation, and amalgamation?

Acculturation is one of several forms of culture contact, and has a couple of closely related terms, including assimilation and amalgamation. Although all three of these words refer to changes due to contact between different cultures, there are notable differences between them. Acculturation is often tied to political conquest or expansion, and is applied to the process of change in beliefs or traditional practices that occurs when the cultural system of one group displaces that of another. Assimilation refers to the process through which individuals and groups of differing heritages acquire the basic habits, attitudes, and mode of life of an embracing culture. Amalgamation refers to a blending of cultures, rather than one group eliminating another (acculturation) or one group mixing itself into another (assimilation).

Examples of acculturation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This acculturation process is a common strategy of schools’ foundation offices. — Michael Mccann, SI.com, "Billy Napier's New Donation Team Rule for Louisiana Players Raises Questions," 16 Aug. 2019 But a move to Texas cuts short this acculturation—at his new high school, the black kids mock his clothes. — Julian Lucas, Harper's magazine, "New Books," 22 July 2019 The Jewish camping movement is a hybrid outgrowth of a slew of Jewish cultural projects: urban social and moral reform, Zionist education, denominational training, and the general acculturation to American-style leisure. — Jamie Lauren Keiles, Vox, "How the JAP became America’s most complex Jewish stereotype.," 5 Dec. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'acculturation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for acculturation

ad- + culture entry 1 + -ation

Note: Word introduced by the American soldier, geologist, and explorer John Wesley Powell (1834-1902) in Introduction to the Study of Indian Languages (Smithsonian Institution, 1880), and used by him subsequently in a number of essays.