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cultivated

[kuhl-tuh-vey-tid]
See more synonyms for cultivated on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. prepared and used for raising crops; tilled: cultivated land.
  2. produced or improved by cultivation, as a plant.
  3. educated; refined; cultured: cultivated tastes.
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Origin of cultivated

First recorded in 1655–65; cultivate + -ed2
Related formsmis·cul·ti·vat·ed, adjectivenon·cul·ti·vat·ed, adjectivepseu·do·cul·ti·vat·ed, adjectivequa·si-cul·ti·vat·ed, adjectivesem·i·cul·ti·vat·ed, adjectivesu·per·cul·ti·vat·ed, adjectiveun·cul·ti·vat·ed, adjectivewell-cul·ti·vat·ed, adjective
Can be confusedcultivated cultured

cultivate

[kuhl-tuh-veyt]
verb (used with object), cul·ti·vat·ed, cul·ti·vat·ing.
  1. to prepare and work on (land) in order to raise crops; till.
  2. to use a cultivator on.
  3. to promote or improve the growth of (a plant, crop, etc.) by labor and attention.
  4. to produce by culture: to cultivate a strain of bacteria.
  5. to develop or improve by education or training; train; refine: to cultivate a singing voice.
  6. to promote the growth or development of (an art, science, etc.); foster.
  7. to devote oneself to (an art, science, etc.).
  8. to seek to promote or foster (friendship, love, etc.).
  9. to seek the acquaintance or friendship of (a person).
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Origin of cultivate

1610–20; < Medieval Latin cultīvātus (past participle of cultīvāre to till), equivalent to cultīv(us) (Latin cult(us), past participle of colere to care for, till (cf. cult) + -īvus -ive) + -ātus -ate1
Related formso·ver·cul·ti·vate, verb (used with object), o·ver·cul·ti·vat·ed, o·ver·cul·ti·vat·ing.pre·cul·ti·vate, verb (used with object), pre·cul·ti·vat·ed, pre·cul·ti·vat·ing.re·cul·ti·vate, verb (used with object), re·cul·ti·vat·ed, re·cul·ti·vat·ing.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for cultivated

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • None of the poetry indeed by him cultivated was of any sort requiring study.

    Weighed and Wanting

    George MacDonald

  • The cultivated Jewess no longer cuts off her hair at her marriage.

  • The current of cultivated opinion has long set in this direction.

  • A considerable portion of the land hereabouts is cultivated.

    The Roof of France

    Matilda Betham-Edwards

  • The drama was cultivated by the Incas, and dramatic performances were enacted before them.

    Apu Ollantay

    Anonymous

British Dictionary definitions for cultivated

cultivated

adjective
  1. cultured, refined, or educated
  2. ((of land or soil))
    1. subjected to tillage or cultivation
    2. tilled and broken up
  3. (of plants) specially bred or improved by cultivation
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cultivate

verb (tr)
  1. to till and prepare (land or soil) for the growth of crops
  2. to plant, tend, harvest, or improve (plants) by labour and skill
  3. to break up (land or soil) with a cultivator or hoe
  4. to improve or foster (the mind, body, etc) as by study, education, or labour
  5. to give special attention toto cultivate a friendship; to cultivate a hobby
  6. to give or bring culture to (a person, society, etc); civilize
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Word Origin

C17: from Medieval Latin cultivāre to till, from Old French cultiver, from Medieval Latin cultīvus cultivable, from Latin cultus cultivated, from colere to till, toil over
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

Word Origin and History for cultivated

cultivate

v.

early 17c., from Medieval Latin cultivatus, past participle of cultivare, from Late Latin cultivus "tilled," from Latin cultus (see cult). Figurative sense of "improve by training or education" is from 1680s. Related: Cultivable; cultivated; cultivating.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper