Synonyms

cultivate

American

[kuhl-tuh-vayt] / ˈkʌl təˌveɪt /

verb (used with object)

to prepare and work on (land) in order to raise crops; till.
to use a cultivator on.
to promote or improve the growth of (a plant, crop, etc.) by labor and attention.
to produce by culture.

to cultivate a strain of bacteria.
to develop or improve by education or training; train; refine.

to cultivate a singing voice.
to promote the growth or development of (an art, science, etc.); foster.
to devote oneself to (an art, science, etc.).
to seek to promote or foster (friendship, love, etc.).
to seek the acquaintance or friendship of (a person).

cultivate British

/ ˈkʌltɪˌveɪt /

verb

to till and prepare (land or soil) for the growth of crops
to plant, tend, harvest, or improve (plants) by labour and skill
to break up (land or soil) with a cultivator or hoe
to improve or foster (the mind, body, etc) as by study, education, or labour
to give special attention to

to cultivate a friendship
to cultivate a hobby
to give or bring culture to (a person, society, etc); civilize

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

What does cultivate mean? When used literally, cultivate means to take steps to grow something or improve its growth, especially crops. When used figuratively, it means much the same thing, except that the thing being grown or improved is often an abstract thing, such as a business or a friendship. The literal sense of cultivate is most often used in the context of agriculture, but it can also refer to things being grown in a laboratory. Its figurative sense can apply to many different things, such as relationships, skills, and even cultures. Example: Farmers have cultivated a variety of crops in this region.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of cultivate

First recorded in 1610–20; from Medieval Latin cultīvātus, past participle of cultīvāre “to till,” equivalent to cultīv(us) “tilled,” derivative of Latin colere “to inhabit, till” + -īvus -ive + -āre, infinitive suffix; cf. cult

Explanation

To cultivate is to nurture and help grow. Farmers cultivate crops, fundraising professionals cultivate donors, and celebrities cultivate their images. When you cultivate something, you work to make it better. Originally, the word referred only to crops that required tilling, but the meaning has widened. No matter what is being cultivated, the word implies a level of care that is reminiscent of gardening. Sometimes friendships come naturally and sometimes you have to cultivate them. To cultivate anything requires an attention to detail, an understanding of what is being cultivated, and a lot of patience.

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

cultivate cultivates cultivated cultivating

"Europe can help to break this cycle through the respect for others that it has learned to cultivate and preserve," Leo said, on the first official papal visit to France in nearly two decades.

From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026

A fraudster can try to cultivate a financial or romantic relationship by pretending to be someone else.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 25, 2026

We rely on school for academics, and we cultivate grit, resilience and agency at home and on playing fields.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

Being on site helps reporters cultivate sources and break news, which in turn helps inform those of us who don’t have access to the building.

From Slate ● Sep. 21, 2026

Eventually, people were so smart that they were able to decipher nature’s secrets, enabling them to tame sheep and cultivate wheat.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari

With its focused screenplay, “Ice Princess” quickly cultivates an atmosphere that’s sympathetic to Gen and Casey.

From Salon ● Aug. 18, 2026

Then there is the window that lets customers see the growing room where the store cultivates plants on-site.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 6, 2026

He now cultivates dragon fruit on 11 acres producing around 220 tonnes a year.

From BBC ● Mar. 26, 2026

Its rich soil has facilitated high production levels, and the region now cultivates one third of England's vegetables and 20 percent of its potatoes and beetroots.

From Barron's ● Oct. 31, 2025

But now that I no longer live as a Catholic in a Catholic world, I cannot expect the liturgy—which reflects and cultivates my faith—to remain what it was.

From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez

The protected area Kunagado and his friends have cultivated is bursting with corals and is now home to hundreds of heat-resistant "super corals" that may protect the village from the impacts of rising sea temperatures.

From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026

Disney World, for example, has practically made an industry out of carefully cultivated hospitality.

From Salon ● Oct. 11, 2026

“He cultivated relationships with sworn law enforcement officers and used those relationships to further his personal and financial interests,” Anderson said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2026

That transformation will likely go beyond the energy and water footprints of data centers or electricity generation, promising everything from affordable and palatable cultivated meats to lower-impact precision agriculture to hyperefficient jet engines.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

She rented a house, cultivated a large garden, and plunged into the work of discovering and breeding caterpillars.

From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman

At age 12, Martínez Celaya entered into an apprenticeship with a painter — the start of his formal artistic training — and around the same time he began cultivating an interest in writing and philosophy.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026

And, while WSL managers say they appreciate the importance of cultivating homegrown talent, the reality of the job ensures it is not their first priority.

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

To do so means overcoming obstacles that are cataloged with a discouraging ease: The apprenticeships, the unpaid hours, the creation of a style, the cultivating of clients, the marketing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

The resignation of the education minister on July 25 marked a rare climbdown for a prime minister who has spent more than a decade cultivating an image of unwavering resolve.

From Barron's ● Aug. 8, 2026

Soviet memos and cables from the time show that the KGB never gave up hope of cultivating Oppenheimer—but never made any progress, either.

From "Bomb" by Steve Sheinkin

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023