the characteristics, or policy, of a two-cultured society
biculturalism in American English
(baiˈkʌltʃərəˌlɪzəm)
noun
the presence of two different cultures in the same country or region
a commission on bilingualism and biculturalism in Canada
Word origin
[1950–55; bicultural + -ism]This word is first recorded in the period 1950–55. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: International Gothic, action painting, bleep, point-of-sale, speech recognition-ism is a suffix appearing in loanwords from Greek, where it was used to form action nounsfrom verbs (baptism). On this model, -ism is used as a productive suffix in the formation of nouns denoting action or practice,state or condition, principles, doctrines, a usage or characteristic, devotion oradherence, etc. (criticism; barbarism; Darwinism; despotism; plagiarism; realism; witticism; intellectualism)