Inculto

Inculto is a Spanish adjective used to describe a person or thing that lacks culture, refinement, or cultivated manners. It can refer to a deficit in cultural capital, education, tastes, or social comportment, and is often employed in a pejorative or evaluative sense. The term can also apply to behaviors, ideas, or artifacts considered coarse or unsophisticated.

Etymology and meaning: Inculto derives from Latin incultus, meaning not cultivated or not formed. It forms the direct opposite of culto, which denotes cultivation, education, or cultured taste. While culto can describe a person who is educated or refined, inculto highlights the absence of those attributes rather than a specific fact or knowledge gap.

Usage and nuance: In everyday language, inculto signals judgment about manners, aesthetics, or intellectual formation. Its use can reflect social or cultural divides, and it may carry stigma or be employed critically in debates about access to culture and education. The term is not limited to formal discourse; it appears in media, literature, and social commentary to describe perceived deficiencies in refinement or cultural exposure.

Variants and scope: The word has gendered forms common in Spanish: inculto (masculine) and inculta (feminine), with plural forms incultos and incultas. Its connotation depends on context and tone, ranging from a neutral descriptor in some analyses to a sharper reproach in others.

See also: culto, cultura, educación, refinamiento, ignorancia.