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
Beyond the show itself, Quartz News will cultivate its community through a companion Messenger bot experience that will give followers the opportunity to interact with the show. — Patricia Hernandez, The Verge, "Facebook’s first wave of ‘trustworthy’ news shows sure includes a lot of Fox News," 11 July 2018 As Trump tests democratic norms, opponents must cultivate their own Twitter pulpits. — Alexander Heffner, Time, "The American Historical Record Includes Court Cases, Famous Speeches—And Trump’s Tweets. Here’s Why That Matters," 2 July 2018 Yet with songs as delicate as the shrouds that decorated the stage, Grizzly Bear’s cultivated approach was ill-suited to the setting. — Bill Brownlee, kansascity, "Middle of the Map opening night: a few setbacks, a sultry show from Spoon," 30 June 2018 Throughout the late '90s and early aughts, Trump cultivated a reel of small, often uncredited roles in a variety of TV shows and movies. — Anika Reed, USA TODAY, "Remember those cameos? President Trump's best TV and movie spots pre-White House," 29 June 2018 China is already cultivating its economic imperium via the Belt and Road Initiative, a plan to build infrastructure for trade and to invest heavily in resource-rich developing economies. — The Economist, "Sino-American interdependence has been a force for geopolitical stability," 23 June 2018 Beijing has cultivated trade with developing countries to reduce dependence on the U.S. and European markets. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "So Much Trade Losing," 6 July 2018 By the time his father ran for president, Don had cultivated a public image as a kind of prudent sidekick. — Julia Ioffe, GQ, "The Real Story of Donald Trump Jr.," 21 June 2018 Much of the rye whiskey aging in hundreds of barrels at Catoctin Creek Distillery in Virginia could end up being consumed in Europe, a market the 9-year-old distilling company has cultivated at considerable cost. — Bruce Schreiner, USA TODAY, "European Union tariffs stir unrest among American whiskey producers," 21 June 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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