'culture-free' originates from the combination of 'culture' and 'free', where 'culture' refers to the customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation, people, or other social group, and 'free' means not under the control or in the power of another; able to act or be done as one wishes.

'culture-free' evolved from the need to describe tests or assessments that are not influenced by cultural biases, becoming a term used in psychology and education.

Initially, it meant 'free from cultural influence', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.