enculturation

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noun

The process by which a person adopts the behaviour patterns of the culture in which they are immersed (or born).

RareScrabble 15

Meanings

nounenculturation (countable and uncountable, plural enculturations)

plural enculturations

  1. countableuncountableThe process by which a person adopts the behaviour patterns of the culture in which they are immersed (or born).
    1 more example

    More specifically, enculturation is the process by which the individual through informal and nonformal modes of cultural transmission learns the language, the technological, socioeconomic, ideational, as well as the cognitive and emotional patterns of culture. It is a lifelong learning process that lasts from an individual’s infancy to adulthood and “which can be said to end only with his death” (ibid., p. 40).

    1979, Johannes Wilbert, editor, Enculturation in Latin America, University of California, page 8

Synonyms & antonyms

nounthe adoption of the behavior patterns of the surrounding culture

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₁én
  2. Proto-Italic*en
  3. Proto-Italic*en-
  4. Latinin-
  5. Old Frenchen-
  6. Middle Englishen-
  7. Englishen-
  8. Proto-Indo-European*kʷelh₁-
  9. Proto-Indo-European*kʷélh₁eti
  10. Proto-Italic*kʷelō
  11. Latincolō
  12. Latincultūra
  13. Middle Frenchculture
  14. Englishculture
  15. Englishenculturation

From en- + culture + -ation.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

enculturation. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/enculturation

MLA

“enculturation.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/enculturation. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “enculturation,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/enculturation.

Source: enculturation on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.