πολιτισμός
politismós/politiˈzmos/masculine
The English word 'culture' is translated into Greek as πολιτισμός (politismós).
πολιτισμός is a masculine noun referring to the beliefs, values, behavior and material objects that constitute a people's way of life.
Meaning: the beliefs, values, behavior and material objects that constitute a people's way of life (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of πολίτης (citizen) and the suffix -ισμός (ism), literally referring to the state or system of a citizen/civilization.
Which one should you use?
While English distinguishes between 'culture' (way of life) and 'civilization' (advanced social development), the Greek word πολιτισμός is used for both concepts.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The genitive singular form of πολιτισμός is πολιτισμού.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /politiˈzmos/. The romanization is politismós.
Did you know?
- While πολιτισμός refers to a societal way of life, Greek uses a different word, καλλιέργεια, when talking about the 'culture' of plants or the 'cultivation' of the mind.
- In Greek, the root of πολιτισμός is also the source of the English word 'politics', as both originate from the concept of the 'polis' or city.
- In modern Greek, the phrase πολιτισμένος άνθρωπος refers to a 'cultured person', which implies they are refined and well-educated rather than just knowledgeable about customs.
Examples in context
- Μου αρέσει ο οξιτανικός πολιτισμός.I like Occitan culture.This sentence is useful for expressing a preference for Occitan culture using πολιτισμός.Tatoeba #3742611 by carlosalberto, translation #6943860 by lucasmg123
- Σε ενδιαφέρει επίσης ο ελληνικός πολιτισμός;Are you also interested in Greek culture?This sentence is useful for asking about an interest in Greek culture using πολιτισμός.Tatoeba #3742873 by carlosalberto, translation #11354647 by carlosalberto
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “culture” translations and entries πολιτισμός, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
