Final answer:
George Murdock was the first person to define the word cultural universal, identifying patterns common across different cultures relating to basic human needs and experiences.
Step-by-step explanation:
The first person to define the word cultural universal was anthropologist George Murdock. Murdock conducted extensive research into systems of kinship around the world and identified patterns and practices that were common across different cultures. He found that these cultural universals often related to basic human survival needs like food, clothing, and shelter, as well as shared human experiences such as birth, death, illness, and healing. Murdock's work concluded that despite variations in cultural practices, there are elements, such as language, personal names, and even humor, that are universal to all human societies.