agriculture

noun

ag·​ri·​cul·​ture ˈa-gri-ˌkəl-chər How to pronounce agriculture (audio)
: 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 noun

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 The town of roughly 12,000 people, birthplace of the Tater Tot, has an economy based in agriculture, health care and the large state prison on its outskirts. Scott Wilson, Anchorage Daily News, 15 Sep. 2023 In a region where impoverished villages — accessible only by unpaved, winding roads — see limited government services and rely on small-scale agriculture, even a trickle of visitors can be a vital source of income. Benjamin Soloway, Washington Post, 15 Sep. 2023 In addition to fashion, the theme will touch every aspect of the fair’s usual fare of rides, entertainment, exhibits, agriculture, animals, art, food and music. Michael James Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Sep. 2023 Human activities, including agriculture and the commercial planting of non-native Japanese cedars used for buildings and boats, also led to the destruction of the bird’s natural habitat—a subtropical laurel forest. Anne Pinto-Rodrigues, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Sep. 2023 Leaders of water agencies have also been discussing ways of achieving water savings in agriculture, which consumes roughly 80% of the river’s water, a large portion of it for alfalfa and other cattle-feed crops. Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 13 Sep. 2023 Between March 1 and May 31, 2020, over 36 percent of food manufacturing and agriculture workers were Hispanic or Latino, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (of the 28 states that report race and ethnicity data). Ramón Borges-Méndez, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Sep. 2023 From the mineral industry to agriculture and recreation, the Great Salt Lake contributes $1.3 billion to the annual economy, according to a state assessment. Rachel Ramirez, CNN, 6 Sep. 2023 Rain is pivotal to human society, impacting the weather and agriculture, as well as streams and rivers. Devika Rao, The Week, 6 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'agriculture.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of agriculture was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near agriculture

Cite this Entry

“Agriculture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/agriculture. Accessed 29 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

agriculture

noun
ag·​ri·​cul·​ture ˈag-ri-ˌkəl-chər How to pronounce agriculture (audio)
: the science or occupation of cultivating the soil, producing crops, and raising livestock : farming
agriculturist noun
or agriculturalist

More from Merriam-Webster on agriculture

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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