low context culture

A form of low-context culture — A culture in which communication tends to be explicit, with little reliance on context or shared understandings to convey meaning.

Meanings

nounlow context culture (plural low context cultures)

plural low context cultures

  1. alternativeAlternative form of low-context culture.

    Communication may be difficult between a low context culture and a high context culture when the unstated meanings of body language differ between the parties.

    2008, Chris Bates, Ling-Li Bates, Culture Shock! Taiwan, →ISBN, page vi
    2 more examples

    Americans (from a low context culture) will complain that Japanese speakers (from a high context culture) never "get to the point." This is due to a failure to recognize that high context cultures must provide a context and setting and let the point evolve.

    2001, James A. Schnell, Qualitative Method Interpretations in Communication Studies, page 15 0739101471

    In low context cultures, messages are mostly explicit and the words convey most of the meaning in the communication. In low context cultures, the impact of non-verbal cues is far less significant and the status of the speaker is less important in attaching meaning to what is said.

    2004, Richard Fletcher, Jim Bell, Rod B. McNaughton, International E-business Marketing, →ISBN, page 190
Cite this entry
APA

low context culture. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/low%20context%20culture

MLA

“low context culture.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/low%20context%20culture. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “low context culture,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/low%20context%20culture.

Source: low context culture on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.