Phrase guide

cultural appropriation

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • US: /ˈkʌlt͡ʃ(ə)ɹəl əˌpɹoʊpɹiˈeɪʃən/
  • rhymes with -eɪʃən

1

noun

Meaning 1

The (often financially) exploitative, oppressive and/or inaccurate cooption of elements of one culture by members of a different culture, often of those which have a history of stigmatisation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: human-sciences, sciences, social-science, sociology

Examples

  • White Americans engaged in cultural appropriation when they performed dances involving blackface and mock Native American regalia.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

20 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: استيلاء ثقافي — exploitative, oppressive and/or inaccurate cooption of elements of one culture by members of a different culture
  • Catalan: apropiació cultural — exploitative, oppressive and/or inaccurate cooption of elements of one culture by members of a different culture
  • Chinese Mandarin: 文化挪用 (wénhuà nuóyòng) — exploitative, oppressive and/or inaccurate cooption of elements of one culture by members of a different culture
  • Dutch: culturele toe-eigening — exploitative, oppressive and/or inaccurate cooption of elements of one culture by members of a different culture
  • Finnish: kulttuurinen omiminen — exploitative, oppressive and/or inaccurate cooption of elements of one culture by members of a different culture
  • Galician: apropiación cultural — exploitative, oppressive and/or inaccurate cooption of elements of one culture by members of a different culture
  • Georgian: კულტურის მითვისება (ḳulṭuris mitviseba) — exploitative, oppressive and/or inaccurate cooption of elements of one culture by members of a different culture
  • Georgian: კულტურის მისაკუთრება (ḳulṭuris misaḳutreba) — exploitative, oppressive and/or inaccurate cooption of elements of one culture by members of a different culture
  • German: kulturelle Aneignung — exploitative, oppressive and/or inaccurate cooption of elements of one culture by members of a different culture
  • Icelandic: menningarnám — exploitative, oppressive and/or inaccurate cooption of elements of one culture by members of a different culture
  • Irish: leithghabháil chultúrtha — exploitative, oppressive and/or inaccurate cooption of elements of one culture by members of a different culture
  • Italian: appropriazione culturale — exploitative, oppressive and/or inaccurate cooption of elements of one culture by members of a different culture
  • Japanese: 文化盗用 (bunka tōyō) — exploitative, oppressive and/or inaccurate cooption of elements of one culture by members of a different culture
  • Japanese: 文化の盗用 (bunka no tōyō) — exploitative, oppressive and/or inaccurate cooption of elements of one culture by members of a different culture
  • Occitan: apropriacion culturala — exploitative, oppressive and/or inaccurate cooption of elements of one culture by members of a different culture
  • Occitan: apropiacion culturala — exploitative, oppressive and/or inaccurate cooption of elements of one culture by members of a different culture
  • Polish: przywłaszczenie kulturowe — exploitative, oppressive and/or inaccurate cooption of elements of one culture by members of a different culture
  • Portuguese: apropriação cultural — exploitative, oppressive and/or inaccurate cooption of elements of one culture by members of a different culture
  • Spanish: apropiación cultural — exploitative, oppressive and/or inaccurate cooption of elements of one culture by members of a different culture
  • Turkish: kültür yağmacılığı — exploitative, oppressive and/or inaccurate cooption of elements of one culture by members of a different culture