cultivate

verb

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

3 : further, encourage cultivate the arts

4 : to seek the society of : make friends with looking for influential people to cultivate as friends

Other Words from cultivate Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about cultivate

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Synonyms & Antonyms for cultivate

Synonyms

acquire, develop, form

Antonyms

lose

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.

Recent Examples on the Web

Miller said her African American teachers nurtured her and cultivated her talents while some of her white teachers failed to recognize her abilities. — Daniela Altimari, courant.com, "“When someobody looks like you, there’s something that they instill in you:’’ House passes bill to boost number of minority educators," 5 June 2019 According to a statement released by the beauty retail giant, part of the brand’s purpose has always been to cultivate an inclusive community. — Shalwah Evans, Essence, "Sephora Says Store Workshop Shutdown Is Not In Response To SZA Incident," 4 June 2019 Pasternak, a former culinary arts and English teacher, wants the city’s children to cultivate an appreciation for the environment. — nola.com, "In an old laser tag arena, a new high school hopes to set 'a future example’ for learning," 4 June 2019 Digital strategists say that Democrats at this stage are spending more on digital in order to build up name identification, cultivate their voter and donor databases, and qualify for the debate stage. — Ben Mitchell, CBS News, "The revolution will be online: How Democrats are trying to catch up to Trump," 3 June 2019 At the center of The Can of Anido is Maran (Xie Jia-hui), an old aboriginal farmer who spends his days silently cultivating his ailing crops and feeding himself with pintsized yam in his barren, rickety hut. — Clarence Tsui, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Ten Years Taiwan': Film Review," 13 July 2018 For quite a while now, Tazi has been cultivating her style—something that could be described as a sassy, thrift-loving bombshell in 2018. — Liana Satenstein, Vogue, "Get to Know Dounia Tazi, a Fashion Nova–Loving Modern Day Bombshell," 12 Nov. 2018 That’s antithetical to the humanities as a discipline, one of whose ambitions is to cultivate fluency in the full sweep of human expression. — Robert P. Crease, WSJ, "Thus Faked Zarathustra," 25 Oct. 2018 The project’s goal was to cultivate community awareness and strengthen relationships while developing civic pride and beautifying an otherwise bland, unremarkable wall. — Karen Huppertz, ajc, "Community-driven mosaic mural brightens Mitchell Road in Norcross," 10 May 2018

These 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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Dictionary Entries near cultivate

Statistics for cultivate

Last Updated

8 Jun 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for cultivate

The first known use of cultivate was in 1588

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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

cul·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