agriculture

American  

[ag-ri-kuhl-cher] / ˈæg rɪˌkʌl tʃər /

noun

1. the science, art, or occupation concerned with cultivating land, raising crops, and feeding, breeding, and raising livestock; farming.

2. the production of crops, livestock, or poultry.

3. agronomy.

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agriculture British  

/ ˈæɡrɪˌkʌltʃə /

noun

1. the science or occupation of cultivating land and rearing crops and livestock; farming; husbandry

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agriculture Scientific  

/ ăg′rĭ-kŭl′chər /

1. The science of cultivating land, producing crops, and raising livestock.

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Other Word Forms

• agricultural adjective
• agriculturally adverb
• agriculturist noun
• preagricultural adjective
• preagriculture noun
• semiagricultural adjective
• unagricultural adjective
• unagriculturally adverb

Etymology

Origin of agriculture

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin agrīcultūra, from agrī (genitive singular of ager “field”) + cultūra culture

Explanation

Agriculture describes the practice of growing crops or raising animals. Someone who works as a farmer is in the agriculture industry. The Latin root of agriculture is agri, or "field," plus cultura, "cultivation." Cultivating a piece of land, or planting and growing food plants on it, is largely what agriculture means. Raising animals for meat or milk also falls under the category of agriculture. If we didn't have agriculture, we'd all be running around the woods, picking berries and trying to shoot things.

Example Sentences

People had significantly altered 75 percent of land and 66 percent of ocean areas through agriculture, fishing, climate change, pollution, and other activities.

From Slate • Apr. 28, 2026

Monsanto revolutionized American agriculture by developing the powerful herbicide.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026

The country includes regions with intensive agriculture, diverse climates and ecosystems, and significant social and geographic inequalities.

From Science Daily • Apr. 27, 2026

A few months later, with a new supervisor in place, the township board banned large solar development from land that’s zoned for agriculture.

From Salon • Apr. 27, 2026

At those early dates all the landmasses surrounding New Guinea were still occupied exclusively by hunter-gatherers, so this ancient agriculture must have developed independently in New Guinea.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Related Words

• cultivation
• culture
• horticulture
• husbandry