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Synonyms

cultured

American  
[kuhl-cherd] / ˈkʌl tʃərd /

adjective

  1. having or characterized by culture; refined; enlightened.

    civilized and cultured peoples; music and other cultured pursuits.

    Synonyms:
    genteel, elegant, sophisticated, polished
  2. artificially nurtured or grown.

    cultured bacteria.

  3. cultivated; tilled.


cultured British  
/ ˈkʌltʃəd /

adjective

  1. showing or having good taste, manners, upbringing, and education

  2. artificially grown or synthesized

    cultured pearls

  3. sport of superior quality, as though the product of special training

    a cultured left foot

    a cultured backhand

"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

Other Word Forms

  • noncultured adjective
  • overcultured adjective
  • semicultured adjective
  • well-cultured adjective

Etymology

Origin of cultured

First recorded in 1550–745; culture + -ed 2

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.

In lab experiments with cultured cells, this AbLec changed how immune cells behaved, pushing them to attack and kill cancer cells.

From Science Daily

The researchers then applied the imaging platform to cultured breast cancer cells, mouse tumors, and healthy tissue samples.

From Science Daily

Are you watching a more cultured, possession-based style now than you did 10 or 20 years ago - or are you watching your team play without the drive and commitment of years gone by?

From BBC

To explore this idea, the team cultured a large quantity of P. sanguinis for three days and then extracted the full mixture of metabolites produced by the microbe.

From Science Daily

Earlier work in cultured cells suggested that bird flu viruses are more tolerant of fever-level temperatures than human flu viruses.

From Science Daily