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

Since Adu, who turns 60 today, released her debut LP Diamond Life in 1984, the Nigerian-British singer has not only left an indelible mark on the R&B landscape, but also cultivated a striking signature aesthetic. — Lauren Valenti, Vogue, "At 60, Sade’s Signature Beauty Is More Timeless Than Ever Before," 16 Jan. 2019 Focusing on search-engine traffic and e-commerce is a popular strategy across the digital media sector, as publishers seek to wean themselves off social media networks and cultivate more reliable sources of web traffic. — Benjamin Mullin, WSJ, "Dotdash, Riding Wave of Search Traffic, Acquires New Sites," 8 Jan. 2019 Okay, so while nothing beats the perfection of watching the rise (and fall) of beautiful bakes, horror has, since late 2016, helped me cultivate some psychological battle armor. — Anne T. Donahue, Marie Claire, "In 2018, Horror Movies Are the Most Comforting Things I Watch," 19 Nov. 2018 Most of the booths showed off tech products that are designed to help cultivate and extract the plant, but there were a number of creative agencies and branding companies present as well. — Angela Chen, The Verge, "Weed and luxury in Las Vegas," 15 Nov. 2018 Beren and other formerly illicit growers are helping cultivate it. — Gene Johnson, The Seattle Times, "More than 100 pot shops set to open as Canada legalizes weed," 11 Oct. 2018 The Civil Media Company, a New York for-profit software firm, on Wednesday announced plans to sell cryptocurrency valued at millions of dollars as part of a plan to help cultivate a global network of newsrooms and news consumers. — Benjamin Mullin, WSJ, "Startup Thinks Blockchain Can Help Fix the Media’s Business Woes," 18 July 2018 In June, Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts from Hammond Troop #243 helped cultivate a fresh crop of vegetable plants. — Staff Report, Post-Tribune, "North Township gardens come to life," 2 July 2018 Obama aides said the former president's intent is to help cultivate new leaders in the party, which is still reeling from its loss in the 2016 presidential race. — Mary Jordan, chicagotribune.com, "Ahead of high-stakes midterms, Barack Obama plans a bigger role in political races," 29 June 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

19 Jan 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