cultivate

/ˌkʌltəˈveɪt/

/ˈkʌltɪveɪt/

Other forms: cultivated; cultivating; cultivates

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.

Definitions of cultivate

1. verb

   adapt (a wild plant or unclaimed land) to the environment
   synonyms: domesticate, naturalise, naturalize, tame

   type of:

   accommodate, adapt

   make fit for, or change to suit a new purpose
2. verb

   prepare for crops
   “cultivate the land”

   synonyms: crop, work

   knead, work

   make uniform

   types:

   overcrop, overcultivate

   to exhaust by excessive cultivation

   type of:

   fix, gear up, prepare, ready, set, set up

   make ready or suitable or equip in advance for a particular purpose or for some use, event, etc
3. verb

   foster the growth of
   types:

   farm, grow, produce, raise

   cultivate by growing, often involving improvements by means of agricultural techniques

   carry

   bear (a crop)

   overproduce

   produce in excess; produce more than needed or wanted

   keep

   raise
4. verb

   teach or refine to be discriminative in taste or judgment
   “Cultivate your musical taste”

   synonyms: civilise, civilize, educate, school, train

   types:

   sophisticate

   make less natural or innocent

   type of:

   down, fine-tune, polish, refine

   improve or perfect by pruning or polishing