culture vulture
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Someone who engages in cultural appropriation; a cultural appropriator.
Register: derogatory, slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
However, a different indigenous researcher sees the use of restorative justice circles by nonindigenous people as being more of culture vultures and taking culture applicable to them and ignoring a brutal history of abuse, oppression, and genocide.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org). Figurative class: Metaphor (PIE-English corpus, CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-31).
Common questions
What does “culture vulture” mean?
Someone who engages in cultural appropriation; a cultural appropriator.
Is “culture vulture” formal or informal?
culture vulture is generally derogatory, slang.