noun
1. : the history of a culture or culture area
a cultural history of the Southwest
specifically : a history treating one or a number of historic world cultures as an integrated unit for purposes of cross comparison with others and for analysis of the forces presumed to be in operation as regards cultural growth, development, fruition, and decay
2. : history that especially by contrast with narrative political history concentrates upon the social, intellectual, and artistic aspects or forces in the life of a people or nation — compare social history