Enculturate

/ɛnˈkʌltʃəreɪt/ verb

Definition

To teach someone the customs, beliefs, and ways of their culture so they become part of that cultural community.

Etymology

From en- (cause to be) + culture (from Latin cultura, meaning cultivation or care). The verb form developed in the mid-20th century in anthropology to describe how individuals learn their society's norms.

Kelly Says

Anthropologists invented this word to describe something humans have done forever—parents raising kids to fit into society. It's the academic way of saying 'passing down traditions,' and it happens in every culture simultaneously across the globe!

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