cultured
Americanadjective
-
having or characterized by culture; refined; enlightened.
civilized and cultured peoples; music and other cultured pursuits.
- Synonyms:
- genteel, elegant, sophisticated, polished
-
artificially nurtured or grown.
cultured bacteria.
-
cultivated; tilled.
adjective
-
showing or having good taste, manners, upbringing, and education
-
artificially grown or synthesized
cultured pearls
-
sport of superior quality, as though the product of special training
a cultured left foot
a cultured backhand
Other Word Forms
- noncultured adjective
- overcultured adjective
- semicultured adjective
- well-cultured adjective
Etymology
Origin of cultured
Explanation
A cultured person usually enjoys art, music, expensive restaurants, and other things considered fancy or educated. An old lady sipping tea with one pinkie sticking out, wearing a flowered hat, and listing to Brahms (the classical composer) would be many people's idea of someone cultured. A cultured person is also called refined, genteel, civilized, and cultivated. Cultured people have good manners and etiquette. However, being cultured is in the eye of the beholder, because there are so many different cultures in the world. It's difficult to be cultured in more than one culture.
Vocabulary lists containing cultured
The Secret Life of Bees
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Warriors Don't Cry (Abridged)
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"America"
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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.
Under current procedures, urine samples must be cultured overnight so bacteria can grow before doctors can identify them and test antibiotics.
From Science Daily • Mar. 31, 2026
John Julius Norwich first saw Venice at the age of 16 in the company of his cultured father, who packed into their brief visit the distilled perspectives of decades.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026
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 • Dec. 7, 2025
They added liquid solutions containing each metabolite to cultured human skin cells.
From Science Daily • Nov. 29, 2025
When it was all over, she would revert to her quietest and most cultured tone, speaking barely above a whisper.
From "Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High" by Melba Pattillo Beals
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.
