inculcation
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of inculcation
First recorded in 1550–60; from Latin inculcātiōn-, stem of inculcātiō, equivalent to inculcāt(us), past participle of inculcāre “to trample, impress, stuff in” + -iō -ion ( def. ); see inculcate ( def. )
Explanation
Inculcation is the instilling of knowledge or values in someone, usually by repetition. To inculcate is to instill or impress an idea on someone, so inculcation is the process of instilling or impressing ideas. A lot of teaching is a form of inculcation: teachers repeat information to students, hoping it will sink in. Parents employ inculcation to instill values like "Don't lie" and "Have courage" in their children. Military groups also use inculcation to impress their ideas upon recruits. Any process of teaching or training is likely a form of inculcation.
Vocabulary lists containing inculcation
The Crucible
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The Crucible, Acts 1–2
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Part 3 Vocabulary II (Unit 5)
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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.
In an ideal world, Langa and other researchers say, efforts to prevent dementia would begin in childhood with strong investments in education and the inculcation of healthy habits.
From Scientific American • Jul. 10, 2022
People of faith, and those of no religion, should not have to support the inculcation of beliefs with which they disagree.
From Washington Post • Dec. 5, 2021
Its inculcation into our daily lives feels, in some ways, like either a simultaneous event — or a driver — of our present undoing.
From Seattle Times • Aug. 29, 2021
She had been using Instagram for years; by virtue of her age and her cultural inculcation, “You Are There” is an oblique comment on Instagram’s mind-warping market of ideals.
From The New Yorker • Nov. 17, 2019
Something good in the way of inculcation may be educed from this rather biting sonnet.
From A New Atmosphere by Hamilton, Gail
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.
