What does cultivation mean?
Cultivation is a noun with two closely related strands of meaning. In its oldest and most concrete sense, it refers to the tilling of soil and the raising of crops — the physical work of preparing land, planting, and nurturing plants to harvest. In its extended sense, it describes the deliberate nurturing or development of something intangible: a skill, a virtue, a friendship, an appreciation of the arts. Both senses share a common core of patient, sustained effort directed toward growth. The word carries broadly positive connotations, implying care, intention, and improvement rather than accident or neglect. It appears frequently in agricultural, scientific, and educational writing, as well as in more reflective contexts about personal growth. Because English also uses 'culture' for the arts and intellectual life, cultivation often sits at the meeting point between the literal farm field and the figurative cultivated mind — a reminder that many ideas we associate with refinement began as practical work with the earth.
The action or practice of tilling land and raising crops; the preparation and use of soil for growing plants.
"The valley's rich soil has supported the cultivation of vines since Roman times."
In this sense the plural 'cultivations' is rare; the uncountable form is standard.
The deliberate fostering or development of a quality, skill, relationship, or habit; refinement of mind or manners.
"Through the cultivation of daily reading habits, she broadened her knowledge considerably."
Cultivation is usually uncountable when referring to farming or development generally; the plural appears mainly in technical or enumerative contexts, such as distinguishing different types or instances of crop cultivation.
"The survey recorded several distinct cultivations across the hillside terraces."
The word 'cultivation' shares its Latin root with 'culture' — before it meant art and ideas, culture literally meant working the soil.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cultivation
Cultivation derives from the Latin noun cultivatio, formed from cultivare ('to till'), itself from cultus, the past participle of colere, meaning 'to till, inhabit, worship, or honor'. The same Latin verb colere gave rise to a wide family of English words including culture, colony, and cult, all reflecting distinct branches of its meaning — working land, settling territory, and paying devotion. Cultivation entered English via French in the early modern period, initially in the literal agricultural sense, before extending metaphorically to mental and social refinement.
How cultivation is actually used
Predominantly formal or neutral in register. In agricultural contexts it appears in both technical and general writing; in figurative use ('cultivation of taste', 'cultivation of contacts') it carries a slightly elevated, sometimes admiring tone suggesting deliberate effort over time.
Easily confused with cultivation
A cult is a system of religious veneration or a group devoted to a particular figure or idea, while cultivation is the act of growing crops or developing qualities.