cultivation

noun

cul·​ti·​va·​tion ˌkəl-tə-ˈvā-shən 

1

: culture, refinement

2

: the act or art of cultivating or tilling

Synonyms

• culture
• education
• civilization
• accomplishment
• refinement
• knowledge
• literacy
• manners

Examples of cultivation in a Sentence

people of cultivation appreciate the special experience that only live theater can provide

Recent Examples on the Web

Verghese estimated the world requires 593 million hectares of land—which is equivalent to twice the size of India—every year for crop cultivation at current productivity growth rates to meet that challenge. —Nino Paoli, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2025

Everything from cultivation to processing and distribution takes place under one roof, meaning each product can be traced back to its farm and forward to the table. —William Jones, Freep.com, 27 Oct. 2025

The assessment also found that around 70 percent of the company’s total freshwater impact stems from cotton cultivation for LS&Co. —Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 24 Oct. 2025

More than 1,200 square miles of forest were cleared for coffee cultivation in Brazil's coffee-growing areas between 2001 and 2023, according to a new report from the group Coffee Watch. —NPR, 24 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1553, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing cultivation

• co-cultivation
• self-cultivation

Rhymes for cultivation

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation

Kids Definition

cultivation

noun

cul·​ti·​va·​tion ˌkəl-tə-ˈvā-shən 

1

: the act or art of cultivating especially the soil

2

: refinement sense 2

Medical Definition

cultivation

noun

cul·​ti·​va·​tion ˌkəl-tə-ˈvā-shən 

: culture sense 2