agriculture

noun

ag·​ri·​cul·​ture ˈa-gri-ˌkəl-chər 

: the science, art, or practice of cultivating the soil, producing crops, and raising livestock and in varying degrees the preparation and marketing of the resulting products

cleared the land to use it for agriculture

agriculturist

ˌa-gri-ˈkəl-ch(ə-)rist 

noun

or agriculturalist

ˌa-gri-ˈkəl-ch(ə-)rə-list 

Synonyms

• farming

Examples of agriculture in a Sentence

They cleared the land to use it for agriculture.

the forest was cut down, and the land given over to agriculture

Recent Examples on the Web

Industrialization of animal agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa is mainly happening already through intensification, vertical integration and corporate consolidation. —Christine Ro, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025

Márquez’s success prevented him from leaving Cuba, and as a result, he was sent to work in agriculture as punishment. —Sarah Moreno, Miami Herald, 30 June 2025

So the human quest for fertilizer—substances to make the soil fertile—followed fast on the heels of agriculture itself. —Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 29 June 2025

Here are four Fortune weekend reads: —Fortune's Special Digital Issue: AI at Work, is a collection of Fortune AIQ stories detailing how companies in finance, law, agriculture, manufacturing, and more are using AI to their advantage. —Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 27 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin agricultura, from ager field + cultura cultivation — more at acre, culture

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing agriculture

• community-supported agriculture

Rhymes for agriculture

• apiculture
• aquaculture
• counterculture
• floriculture
• horticulture
• mariculture
• monoculture
• sericulture
• silviculture
• viticulture
• arboriculture
• culture

Kids Definition

agriculture

noun

ag·​ri·​cul·​ture ˈag-ri-ˌkəl-chər 

: the science or occupation of cultivating the soil, producing crops, and raising livestock : farming

agriculturist

ˌag-ri-ˈkəlch- (ə-)rəst 

noun

or agriculturalist

-(ə-)rə-ləst