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
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
cultivatable
\ ˈkəl-tə-ˌvā-tə-bəl
\
adjective
\
adjective
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.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Both university administrators and their OPM counterparts assured me that protecting brands cultivated over hundreds of years is a major priority. — Katerina Manoff, The Atlantic, "How They (Online Graduate Programs) Get You," 14 Aug. 2019 This airport supports numerous education programs in conjunction with San Jose State University that cultivate our next generation of aviators (of which there is a shortage). — Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, "Letter: No sympathy for East Side San Jose residents regarding airport," 10 Aug. 2019 History is all about the present and Warren’s pieces really cultivate introspection. — Marcus Harrison Green, The Seattle Times, "See how a Seattle artist is telling the painful story of redlining in his city," 8 Aug. 2019 For the third straight year, the following counties had the highest number of plants cultivated: Denver, Pueblo, El Paso and Boulder. — Judith Kohler, The Denver Post, "More of the legal marijuana sold in Colorado is increasingly for recreational use," 6 Aug. 2019 The front office gambled on high-upside draft prospects and cultivated a winning G-League affiliate in Santa Cruz. — Jake Fischer, SI.com, "How David Griffin Rebuilt the Pelicans and His World," 1 Aug. 2019 It was preceded by several mixtapes that cultivated a big fanbase. — Joey Guerra, Houston Chronicle, "Chance the Rapper set to have a 'Big Day' in Houston," 29 July 2019 The legislation, sponsored by Councilman Blaine Griffin, would apply to ordinances that forbid possessing or cultivating marijuana or giving it to another person. — Robert Higgs, cleveland.com, "Cleveland City Council to consider eliminating fines, punishment for some minor marijuana crimes," 25 July 2019 Everyone goes through times of feeling down or out of the loop, so relax and cultivate a more positive attitude. — Tribune Content Agency, oregonlive.com, "Horoscope for July 23, 2019: Happy birthday Kathryn Hahn; Leo, even a caped crusader needs a break," 23 July 2019These 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
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
cultivate
transitive verb
cul·ti·vate
| \ ˈkəl-tə-ˌvāt
\
\
cultivated;
cultivating
Medical Definition of cultivate
: culture sense 1
viruses cultivated in brain tissue