multiculturalists
|mul-ti-cul-tu-ral-ists|
/ˌmʌltiˈkʌltʃərəlɪst/
(multiculturalist)
supporter of cultural diversity
Etymology
'multiculturalist' originates from modern English, formed by combining 'multicultural' and the agent suffix '-ist'. 'Multicultural' itself combines the prefix 'multi-' (from Latin 'multus' meaning 'many') and 'cultural' (from 'culture', from Latin 'cultura' meaning 'cultivation').
'Multicultural' arose in the mid-20th century to describe societies with multiple coexisting cultures; the agentive '-ist' (from Greek/Latin via French and English) was added to form 'multiculturalist' to denote a person who supports or practices multiculturalism.
Initially the root terms described 'many' + 'culture' (literal sense of multiple cultures); over time they evolved into political and social concepts about policy and ideology, so 'multiculturalist' came to mean 'a supporter or advocate of multicultural policies/ideas.'
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a person who supports or advocates multiculturalism — the policy or idea that multiple cultural traditions should be acknowledged and maintained within a single society.
Multiculturalists often argue that public institutions should reflect and accommodate diverse cultural practices.
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Noun 2
someone (often an academic, policymaker, or commentator) who studies, writes about, or promotes policies related to cultural diversity and multiculturalism.
Many multiculturalists in academia study how migration shapes urban cultural landscapes.
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Last updated: 2026/01/10 08:43