cultivate
KUL-tih-vayt
/ˈkʌltɪveɪt/
To try to acquire or develop a quality or skill.
Suggests intentional effort and labor over time, much like tilling soil to grow a crop.
The story behind the word. From the Latin 'colere', meaning to till, inhabit, or worship. It connects the physical act of farming with the spiritual and mental act of self-improvement.
Word relationships
- develop: Develop is neutral; cultivate implies a more deliberate and careful process of growth.
- stifle: Stifle means to prevent the development or growth of something.
Word family
- cultivation (noun): The act of developing or tilling.
- culture (noun): The refined results of cultivation in a society.
Collocations
- cultivate a habit
- cultivate a relationship
- cultivate an interest
Example sentences
- "We must cultivate our garden." Philosophical advice. (Voltaire, Candide)
Memory hook
You 'cultivate' a 'culture' of success by working on it every day. Tilling the mind.
When not to use
Don't use it for things that happen naturally without effort.
Fun facts
- The word 'culture' originally meant the cultivation of the soil, only later referring to the cultivation of the mind through art and education.
Also appears in
- Leadership → Mentorship & Guidance
- Nature → Flora, Botany & Plants
- Nature → Forestry & Agriculture
- Economic Theory & Analysis → Agrarian Economics
- Education & Pedagogy → Extracurricular & Enrichment
- Environmental Policy & Sustainability Economics → Sustainable Agriculture & Farming
- Food Science & Culinary Craft → Organic Farming Practices
- Sociology & Social Anthropology → Agrarian Social Structure
- Hobbies, Crafts & Leisure → Gardening & Houseplants
- Home & Domestic Life → Lawn Care & Landscaping
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