culture shock


noun

a state of bewilderment and distress experienced by an individual who is suddenly exposed to a new, strange, or foreign social and cultural environment.

Origin of culture shock

First recorded in 1955–60

OTHER WORDS FROM culture shock

cul·ture-shocked, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for culture shock

culture shock

noun

sociol the feelings of isolation, rejection, etc, experienced when one culture is brought into sudden contact with another, as when a primitive tribe is confronted by modern civilization

Medical definitions for culture shock

culture shock

n.

A condition of confusion and anxiety affecting a person suddenly exposed to an unfamiliar culture or milieu.

Idioms and Phrases with culture shock

culture shock

A state of confusion and anxiety experienced by someone upon encountering an alien environment. For example, It's not just jet lag—it's the culture shock of being in a new country. This term was first used by social scientists to describe, for example, the experience of a person moving from the country to a big city. It is now used more loosely, as in the example. [Late 1930s]