cultivate
Americanverb (used with object)
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cultivates,
present (3rd person singular)
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cultivated,
past participle, past
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cultivating
present participle
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to prepare and work on (land) in order to raise crops; till.
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to use a cultivator on.
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to promote or improve the growth of (a plant, crop, etc.) by labor and attention.
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to produce by culture.
to cultivate a strain of bacteria.
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to develop or improve by education or training; train; refine.
to cultivate a singing voice.
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to promote the growth or development of (an art, science, etc.); foster.
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to devote oneself to (an art, science, etc.).
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to seek to promote or foster (friendship, love, etc.).
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to seek the acquaintance or friendship of (a person).
verb
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to till and prepare (land or soil) for the growth of crops
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to plant, tend, harvest, or improve (plants) by labour and skill
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to break up (land or soil) with a cultivator or hoe
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to improve or foster (the mind, body, etc) as by study, education, or labour
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to give special attention to
to cultivate a friendship
to cultivate a hobby
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to give or bring culture to (a person, society, etc); civilize
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
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overcultivateverb (used with object)
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precultivateverb (used with object)
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recultivateverb (used with object)
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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cultivatesimple
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cultivatessimple
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have cultivatedperfect
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has cultivatedperfect
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am cultivatingprogressive
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are cultivatingprogressive
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is cultivatingprogressive
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have been cultivatingperfect progressive
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has been cultivatingperfect progressive
Past
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cultivatedsimple
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had cultivatedperfect
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was cultivatingprogressive
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were cultivatingprogressive
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had been cultivatingperfect progressive
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.
Vocabulary lists containing cultivate
The Vernal Vocabulary of Spring
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The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 5
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List 7
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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:
In a society shaped by fragmentation and misperception, the capacity to remain present with complexity is one of the most urgent skills we can cultivate.
From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026
That’s something you have to cultivate without an intermediary.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
Was that a nod to the hope he might cultivate brighter relations with Northern Ireland than the Conservatives who came before him had managed?
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
However, in what would be a major policy shift, he has also said he would take a less emollient tone toward President Trump, whom his predecessor sought to cultivate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Similarly Mrs. Brindle does not discuss Katie’s interest in drama or express regret that she cannot afford to cultivate her daughter’s talent.
From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell
The Huntington cultivates them on-site and has distributed many to botanic gardens and zoos across the country.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
That kind of education cultivates adaptability, resilience and judgment, the traits employers say they value most.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 12, 2026
How he works with the White House - and the kind of relationship he cultivates with the president - could prove crucial for implementing his agenda.
From BBC ● Jan. 1, 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
Like the gardener, a leader must take responsibility for what he cultivates; he must mind his work, try to repel enemies, preserve what can be preserved, and eliminate what cannot succeed.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
As the river changes course, fields can disappear faster than official records can keep up, leaving families with uncertain claims to land they have cultivated for generations.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
That emphasis on community and institutional belonging raises an interesting question about where such assumptions are cultivated.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Researchers also found DNA from cultivated plants, domesticated animals and Mediterranean red coral.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 4, 2026
The practice has cultivated happy clients, driving more sales, Dababneh says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 1, 2026
This 1640 painting by Jacob Marrel is from a catalog used by flower merchants to advertise newly cultivated varieties for sale.
From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman
That Ishbia needed a bailout didn’t surprise some critics of the company, which overtook rival Rocket Mortgage as the largest mortgage lender by dollar volume by cultivating a network of brokers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 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
You’ll just end up annoying your manager or cultivating a combative relationship.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
A retired Air Force Reserve colonel and longtime foreign policy hawk, he spent decades cultivating relationships not only across Capitol Hill but with world leaders, diplomats and advocacy organizations.
From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026
Like Bentley, Whittaker Chambers—a prominent journalist for Time magazine—spent years as an underground Soviet agent in the 1930s, cultivating informers and passing secret documents to his contacts in the GRU, the USSR's military intelligence service.
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
