cultivate
verb
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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
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adjective
Synonyms & Antonyms for cultivate
Synonyms
advance, encourage, forward, foster, further, incubate, nourish, nurse, nurture, promote
Antonyms
discourage, frustrate, hinder, inhibit
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Examples of cultivate in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The shortages in his home country during his childhood cultivated an inventive spirit. — Aaron Pressman, Fortune, "Data Sheet—Why Most Wheelchairs Can't Climb Stairs," 2 July 2018 The project includes sod removal, cultivating, laser grading, roller, new sod installation and fertilizer on three multi-purpose athletic fields in the park, according to village documents. — Austen Erblat, Sun-Sentinel.com, "New sod to be installed at Seminole Palms Park fields," 12 June 2018 If Maryland can cultivate points from other sources, that should force future defenses to respect the other members of the offense. 2. — Edward Lee, baltimoresun.com, "What we learned from the Big Ten men’s lacrosse tournament semifinals," 4 May 2018 Regardless, this carrion connection has cultivated some oddball gardening behaviors, including the hanging of roadkill in trees, to attract pollinators. — Andrew Moore, Good Housekeeping, "A Beginner's Guide To Growing Pawpaw—The Delicious Fruit You're Not Eating," 12 Jan. 2018 In reality, this arc is super-fertile, cultivated land surrounded by dense forest. — Angela Fritz, Washington Post, "The prehistoric shoreline of the Gulf of Mexico is so fertile you can see it from space," 12 July 2018 Humans have a long history of manipulating crops; cultivating strains to withstand certain conditions. — Emily Hopkins, Cincinnati.com, "Your produce is less healthy than it was 70 years ago. These farmers might change that," 4 July 2018 But the dramatic focus is less on the realization of her carefully cultivated potential than on the way adults project their own disappointments and desires onto this feisty young baseliner. — Charles Mcnulty, latimes.com, "Review: Amanda Peet's 'Our Very Own Carlin McCullough': A tennis prodigy learns life's score," 29 June 2018 The myth of a distinct supply chain—where a person either cultivates or deals or possesses or uses, but never more than one—doesn’t tend to map onto reality. — Josie Duffy Rice, The Atlantic, "The Gospel According to Pusha T," 12 July 2018These 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
verb
English 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
verb
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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 verb
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Medical Definition of cultivate
: culture sense 1 viruses cultivated in brain tissue
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