Culture — English Vocabulary
40 essential words about culture in the live bank, with meanings and examples. Open any word for its full page.
exhibition /ˌeksɪˈbɪʃən/ noun B2
A public display of works of art, objects, or products for people to look at.
Example: The photography exhibition opens Friday.
gallery /ˈɡæləri/ noun B2
A room or building where works of art are shown and sometimes sold.
Example: The gallery sells paintings by local artists.
sculpture /ˈskʌlptʃər/ noun B2
A work of art made by shaping stone, wood, metal, or clay into a form, especially a person or animal.
Example: A bronze sculpture stands in the square.
literature /ˈlɪtrətʃər/ noun B2
Written works, especially novels, plays, and poems of lasting quality; also printed information on a subject.
Example: She studies American literature at college.
poetry /ˈpəʊətri/ noun B2
Writing arranged in lines with rhythm and strong imagery, expressing feelings and ideas; poems as a group.
Example: She writes poetry about the sea.
orchestra /ˈɔːrkɪstrə/ noun B2
A large group of musicians who play classical music together, led by a conductor.
Example: The orchestra played Beethoven beautifully.
composer /kəmˈpəʊzər/ noun B2
A person who writes music.
Example: The composer wrote the film's music.
masterpiece /ˈmɑːstərpiːs/ noun B2
A work of art, literature, or music of outstanding quality — the best work of its creator.
Example: The novel is considered a masterpiece.
genre /ˈʒɒnrə/ noun B2
A type or kind of art, literature, film, or music with its own style and rules — comedy, horror, romance.
Example: Horror is her favorite movie genre.
novel /ˈnɒvəl/ noun B2
A long written story with characters and events, invented by the author.
Example: She's reading a novel about the Civil War.
portrait /ˈpɔːrtrət/ noun C1
A painting, photograph, or description that represents a person, usually showing their face; also the vertical format of pages and photos.
Example: The museum has a portrait of the queen.
classical /ˈklæsɪkəl/ adjective C1
In the tradition of ancient Greece and Rome, or of serious European art music; also traditional and long-established in style.
Example: She studies classical music.
folk /fəʊk/ noun / adjective C1
People in general ('folks'); traditional culture, music, and stories of ordinary people of a region.
Example: Folk songs tell old stories.
canvas /ˈkænvəs/ noun C1
The strong cloth that artists paint on, stretched over a frame; also the material of tents and sails, and metaphorically a place for creation.
Example: She painted the harbor on canvas.
sketch /sketʃ/ noun / verb C1
A quick, rough drawing that shows main features without detail; also a short funny scene in a comedy show; to draw quickly.
Example: He drew a sketch of the house.
statue /ˈstætʃuː/ noun C1
A large model of a person or animal made from stone, metal, or wood, usually placed outdoors in public places.
Example: The statue stands in the main square.
pottery /ˈpɒtəri/ noun C1
Objects made from clay and baked in a hot oven (pots, bowls, vases); the craft of making them, and the workshop where they are made.
Example: Ancient pottery filled the museum case.
craft /krɑːft/ noun C1
An activity or job requiring skill with the hands (woodwork, pottery, sewing); skill in making things well. Also a boat or aircraft (from another sense), and to make something carefully (verb).
Example: Wood carving is an old craft.
pattern /ˈpætərn/ noun C1
A repeated decorative design of shapes or colors; also a regular way things happen or are done (a pattern of behavior, weather patterns).
Example: The dress has a flower pattern.
frame /freɪm/ noun C1
The structure around a picture, window, or door that holds and supports it; also the basic structure of a body, building, or idea, and to construct or (dishonestly) make an innocent person look guilty.
Example: The portrait hangs in a gold frame.
medieval /ˌmediˈiːvəl/ adjective C1
Relating to the Middle Ages — the period in European history roughly from 500 to 1500 AD, of knights, castles, and feudal life.
Example: The town has a medieval castle.
prehistoric /ˌpriːhɪˈstɔːrɪk/ adjective C1
Relating to the time before written history — the ages of early humans, cave art, and dinosaurs' long aftermath.
Example: Prehistoric paintings cover the cave.
antique /ænˈtiːk/ noun / adjective C1
An old object that is valuable and collectible because of its age and quality (usually 100+ years); old and belonging to the past.
Example: She collects antique clocks.
timeless /ˈtaɪmləs/ adjective C1
Not affected by the passage of time or by changing fashions — always beautiful, true, or relevant.
Example: The novel tells a timeless story.
destiny /ˈdestɪni/ noun C1
The hidden power believed to control what will happen in the future; the events that must happen to a person or thing; fate as a personal path.
Example: He believed it was his destiny to lead.
fate /feɪt/ noun C1
The power that is believed to control events and decide what happens, beyond human control; also the end or outcome of someone or something.
Example: Fate decided otherwise.
golden age /ˈɡəʊldən eɪdʒ/ noun C1
A period in the past when a country, art, or activity was at its best and most successful; also the best years of a person's life or career.
Example: The 1950s were Hollywood's golden age.
eternal /ɪˈtɜːrnəl/ adjective C1
Lasting forever, without beginning or end; also (complaining) never stopping ('this eternal noise').
Example: They promised eternal love.
bygone /ˈbaɪɡɒn/ adjective C1
Belonging to an earlier time; past and gone — used in the phrase 'a bygone era' and the saying 'let bygones be bygones' (forget past quarrels).
Example: Photos show a bygone era.
epoch /ˈiːpɒk/ noun C1
A particular period in history marked by special events or characteristics; in geology, a division of time smaller than a period.
Example: The internet began a new epoch.
coverage /ˈkʌvərɪdʒ/ noun C1
The reporting of an event or subject in newspapers, TV, or online media; also the extent to which something is included.
Example: The election got wall-to-wall coverage.
bias /ˈbaɪəs/ noun C1
An unfair preference for or against someone or something, which affects judgment.
Example: The article shows a clear bias against small towns.
portray /pɔːrˈtreɪ/ verb C1
To describe or show someone or something in a particular way in art, media, or writing.
Example: The film portrays the mayor as a hero.
narrative /ˈnærətɪv/ noun C1
A story or an account of connected events; the way events are presented to create a particular impression.
Example: The novel's narrative follows two sisters.
mainstream /ˈmeɪnstriːm/ adjective / noun C1
Belonging to the ideas, products, or media that most people accept and use; those ideas themselves.
Example: The band entered the mainstream with their third album.
controversy /ˈkɒntrəvɜːrsi/ noun C1
Strong public disagreement about something, with argument on many sides.
Example: The decision caused a national controversy.
viral /ˈvaɪrəl/ adjective C1
Spreading quickly and widely on the internet, like a virus through a population.
Example: Her video went viral overnight.
editorial /ˌedɪˈtɔːriəl/ noun / adjective C1
An article in a newspaper or on a news site that gives the opinion of the publication itself; relating to editing and publishing.
Example: The paper's editorial supported the new law.
documentary /ˌdɒkjuˈmentəri/ noun C1
A film or program that presents facts about real events, people, or nature.
Example: We watched a documentary about ocean life.
satire /ˈsætaɪər/ noun C1
Writing, comedy, or art that criticizes people or ideas by imitating them in a funny, exaggerated way.
Example: The show is a satire of TV news.