ˈin-(ˌ)
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Sometimes before a lesson sinks in, you’ve got to go over it in your mind for a long time. The same is true for when you want to make a path: you have to walk over it again and again. The connection between walking and learning is at the heart of inculcate, which comes from a form of the Latin verb inculcare, meaning “to tread on.” In Latin, inculcare possesses both literal and figurative meanings, referring to either the act of walking over something or to that of impressing something upon the mind, often by way of steady repetition. It is the figurative sense that survives with inculcate, which was first used in English in the 16th century. Since then, the word has kept the meaning of impressing facts, ideas, or ideals on someone through repetition. If you have trouble remembering inculcate’s definition, you may find it helpful to know that it’s a synonym of the word instill (“to impart gradually”), which shares the Latin prefix in-.
Examples of inculcate in a Sentence
Literary Hub, 26 May 2026
Teaching religion at two Catholic high schools before and after law school, my job was to inculcate Roman Catholic values in my students.
—Charles J. Russo, The Conversation, 27 Apr. 2026
We sociologists infamously inculcate our innocent students with communist ideals.
—Wendy Nelson Espeland, Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2026
We sociologists infamously inculcate our innocent students with communistic ideals.
—Wendy Nelson Espeland, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inculcate
Cite this Entry
“Inculcate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inculcate. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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inculcate
verb
ˈin-(ˌ)kəl-
