culturally
gb/kˈʌlt͡ʃɚəli/ us/kˈʌlt͡ʃɚəli/
B2
English
Senses
0 senses
adverb
B2
property
1
in a way related to culture
in a way connected with a group’s culture
Usage pattern:
culturally + [adjective] / culturally + [verb]
Common mistake:
Don’t use the adjective form *cultural* where an adverb is needed (e.g., *culturally important*, not *cultural important*).
Synonyms
in cultural terms (More explicit and often used in formal explanations.)
Collocations
culturally important
|culturally significant
|culturally relevant
|culturally specific
|culturally distinct
|culturally different
|culturally rich
|culturally informed
|culturally embedded
|culturally valued
Themes
society
|education
|arts
|communication
Examples
- The city is culturally important, with museums, theaters, and historic neighborhoods.
- The two regions are culturally similar despite being in different countries.
- She studies how language changes culturally over time.
Learner examples
- This festival is culturally important.
- The food is culturally different from mine.
adverb
B2
property
2
according to cultural norms
in a way that fits a culture’s rules and habits
Usage pattern:
culturally + acceptable/appropriate/sensitive / behave culturally
Common mistake:
Avoid using *culturely* (nonstandard). Use *culturally*.
Synonyms
appropriately (More general; does not specifically refer to culture.)
Antonyms
inappropriately (Opposite when a behavior does not fit expected norms, including cultural ones.)
Collocations
culturally appropriate
|culturally acceptable
|culturally sensitive
|culturally respectful
|culturally competent
|culturally aware
|culturally responsive
|culturally safe
|culturally grounded
|culturally informed
Themes
society
|work
|communication
|ethics
Examples
- The training helps staff communicate culturally with international clients.
- It’s important to dress culturally appropriately when visiting a religious site.
- The campaign was rewritten to work culturally in different markets.
Learner examples
- Please speak culturally respectfully.
- This joke is not culturally appropriate.
adverb
B2
relation
3
with respect to cultural differences
when talking about how cultures differ
Usage pattern:
culturally + diverse/different / culturally compared
Common mistake:
Don’t confuse *culturally* (adverb) with *cultural* (adjective) in comparisons (e.g., *culturally different*, not *cultural different*).
Synonyms
cross-culturally (Often emphasizes across multiple cultures and comparisons between them.)
Antonyms
uniformly (Opposite when there is little or no variation (including cultural variation).)
Collocations
culturally diverse
|culturally different
|culturally mixed
|culturally varied
|culturally homogeneous
|culturally inclusive
|culturally diverse community
|culturally diverse workforce
|culturally diverse classroom
|culturally diverse society
Themes
society
|travel
|education
|business
Examples
- The neighborhood is culturally diverse, with dozens of languages spoken.
- Their communication styles are culturally different, so misunderstandings happen.
- The book looks at how parenting works culturally in several countries.
Learner examples
- My class is culturally diverse.
adverb
C1
property
4
in terms of arts and cultural life
in a way connected to art and cultural activities
Usage pattern:
culturally + active/vibrant / develop culturally
Common mistake:
This sense is about arts/cultural life, not about being polite to other cultures.
Synonyms
artistically (Narrower; focuses on art rather than culture broadly.)
Antonyms
unculturally (Rare; suggests lacking culture or refinement (and is not common in modern usage).)
Collocations
culturally vibrant
|culturally active
|culturally thriving
|culturally engaging
|culturally celebrated
|culturally renowned
|culturally focused
|culturally oriented
|culturally developed
|culturally dynamic
Themes
arts
|travel
|society
|history
Examples
- The waterfront has become culturally vibrant, with galleries and live music every weekend.
- They chose to live downtown because it’s culturally active and walkable.
- The town is small but culturally lively in the summer.
Learner examples
- The city is culturally vibrant.
adverb
formal
C1
relation
5
shaped by culture, not biology
because of culture and learning in society
Usage pattern:
culturally determined/constructed/learned
Common mistake:
Don’t overuse this in casual conversation; it often sounds academic.
Synonyms
socially (Broader; may refer to society in general, not specifically culture.)
Antonyms
genetically (Opposite when something is explained by genes rather than cultural learning.)
Collocations
culturally determined
|culturally constructed
|culturally transmitted
|culturally learned
|culturally conditioned
|culturally mediated
|culturally reinforced
|culturally shared
|culturally produced
|culturally shaped
Themes
education
|psychology
|society
|science
Examples
- Many ideas about beauty are culturally constructed rather than universal.
- The researchers argue that the practice is culturally transmitted across generations.
- These habits are culturally learned at home and at school.
Learner examples
- Some traditions are culturally learned.
Grammar
Dictionary form
culturally
IPA
GB/kˈʌlt͡ʃɚəli/
US/kˈʌlt͡ʃɚəli/
Syllables & stress
cul - tur - ally (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (cul)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: culturally
- Plural: culturallies
Word family
Forms
culturallies
noun
Related words
multicultural
adjective B2
cultured
adjective
Negative and opposite forms
uncultured
adjective
Advanced or less common
intercultural
adjective
subculture
noun B2
Expressions
culturally appropriate
1/kˈʌlt͡ʃɚəli əpɹˈoʊpɹiɪt/
fixed phrase
suitable in cultural context
Right or okay in a certain culture’s customs and rules.
Examples
- It’s important to wear culturally appropriate clothing when visiting holy sites.
- The film sparked debate about what is culturally appropriate humor.
culturally appropriate
1/kˈʌlt͡ʃɚəli əpɹˈoʊpɹiɪt/
fixed phrase
suitable for a culture
OK in a culture; not rude or offensive
Examples
- They adjusted the ad to make it culturally appropriate for the local audience.
- Teachers checked that the examples were culturally appropriate for the class.
culturally diverse
1/kˈʌlt͡ʃɚəli daɪvˈɚs/
fixed phrase
Having many cultural backgrounds
Having people from many different cultures.
Examples
- New York is a culturally diverse city.
- The school is proud to be culturally diverse.
culturally diverse
1/kˈʌlt͡ʃɚəli daɪvˈɚs/
fixed phrase
including many cultures
with many different cultures
Examples
- The school is culturally diverse, so celebrations come from many traditions.
- They wanted a culturally diverse team to better understand their customers.
culturally rich
1/kˈʌlt͡ʃɚəli ɹˈɪt͡ʃ/
fixed phrase
full of cultural activity
having many traditions, history, and cultural events
Examples
- Kyoto is culturally rich, with temples, gardens, and traditional crafts.
- The program offers a culturally rich experience through music and food.
culturally sensitive
1/kˈʌlt͡ʃɚəli sˈɛnsɪtɪv/
fixed phrase
respectful of cultural differences
respecting other cultures and not causing offense
Examples
- The museum created culturally sensitive exhibits in consultation with local communities.
- Managers are expected to be culturally sensitive when giving feedback to international staff.
culturally speaking
1/kˈʌlt͡ʃɚəli spˈikɪŋ/
fixed phrase
from a cultural viewpoint
from the point of view of culture
Examples
- Culturally speaking, direct eye contact can mean different things in different places.
- Culturally speaking, the holiday is more important in the north than in the south.