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cul·ti·vate | \ ˈkəl-tə-ˌvāt 
\
\cultivated; cultivating
Definition of cultivate
1 : to prepare or prepare and use for the raising of crops
Some fields are cultivated while others lie fallow. also : to loosen or break up the soil about (growing plants)
2a : to foster the growth of
cultivate vegetables cultivate coffee
b : culture sense 2a cultivate oysters for pearls
c : to improve by labor, care, or study : refine cultivate the mind … cultivated a reputation as a hard-core wheeler-dealer …— Kit Boss
4 : to seek the society of : make friends with
looking for influential people to cultivate as friends
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Other Words from cultivate
cultivatable \ ˈkəl-tə-ˌvā-tə-bəl \ adjective
\ adjective
Examples of cultivate in a Sentence
Prehistoric peoples settled the area and began to cultivate the land.
Some of the fields are cultivated while others lie fallow.
a plant that is cultivated for its fruit
They survived by cultivating vegetables and grain.
He has carefully cultivated his image.
She cultivated a taste for fine wines.
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Recent Examples on the Web Ellinor finds that her purpose isn’t to work for the social good but to cultivate her own happiness.
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Megan Evershed, The New Republic, "The Psychological Perks of Joining a Revolution," 18 Sep. 2020 Their vision was that the house would become a kind of collective oasis — a group of supporters who would help each other cultivate their own personal growth.
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Annie Vainshtein, SFChronicle.com, "How does an SF house with 11 roommates navigate the coronavirus? It’s complicated," 18 Sep. 2020 Clearly, organizations around the league are trying to cultivate culture.
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Christian Clark | Staff Writer, NOLA.com, "What does NBA culture change actually look like? Lessons from the Nuggets' rise," 16 Sep. 2020 His fans credit him for helping cultivate the farm-to-table ethos that foodies have come to expect from Utah’s dining scene.
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Heather May, The Salt Lake Tribune, "Log Haven celebrates 100 years of love, food and drink, and nature," 13 Sep. 2020 My advice to novice artists is this: Practice your craft, cultivate your intuition, and never stop learning.
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Katie Bain, Billboard, "20 Questions With Chris Korda: The Producer on the 'Anesthesia' of Dance Music & Why Humans Must Stop Breeding," 10 Sep. 2020 Workplace speech raises a different set of challenges, since employers aren’t obligated to cultivate free discussion.
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Adam Kirsch, WSJ, "Land of Free (and Fettered) Speech," 4 Sep. 2020 For example, the report notes supply chain bottlenecks of equipment to cultivate and harvest alternative crops to corn and soybeans.
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Jennifer Bjorhus, Star Tribune, "State urges Minnesota farmers to plant more vegetative cover to fight nitrate contamination," 27 Aug. 2020 Where the Left’s environmentalism seeks to destroy and transform, then, the Right’s environmentalism seeks to cultivate and preserve.
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Nate Hochman, National Review, "Toward a Conservative Environmentalism," 3 Sep. 2020
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cultivate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for cultivate
cultivate
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of cultivate
: to prepare and use (soil) for growing plants
: to grow and care for (plants)
: to grow or raise (something) under conditions that you can control
See the full definition for cultivate in the English Language Learners Dictionary
cultivate
verbcul·ti·vate | \ ˈkəl-tə-ˌvāt \
\cultivated; cultivating
Kids Definition of cultivate
1 : to prepare land for the raising of crops
cultivate a field
2 : to raise or assist the growth of crops by tilling or by labor and care
cultivate corn
3 : to improve or develop by careful attention, training, or study : devote time and thought to
He's trying to cultivate a better attitude.
4 : to seek the company and friendship of
As soon as Johnny began to cultivate Dove, he was surprised at the response.— Esther Forbes, Johnny Tremain
cultivate
transitive verbcul·ti·vate | \ ˈkəl-tə-ˌvāt \
\cultivated; cultivating
Medical Definition of cultivate
: culture sense 1 viruses cultivated in brain tissue
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Comments on cultivate
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Time Traveler for cultivate
The first known use of cultivate was in 1588
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