cultivé

Cultivé is the masculine singular past participle of the French verb cultiver and is used as an adjective meaning cultivated, tilled, or refined. It attaches to nouns to indicate that they have been produced or tended through human activity, or to convey a sense of refinement when applied to people or cultures.

In agriculture and horticulture, cultivated describes land, crops, or plants that are managed or grown by humans. Common phrases include terres cultivées (cultivated lands) and plantes cultivées (cultivated plants). In botany and agronomy, the term also helps distinguish cultivated varieties from wild types. The corresponding feminine and plural forms are cultivée, cultivés, and cultivées, respectively.

Figuratively, cultivated can refer to education or refinement. A person with an educated or refined mind is described as un esprit cultivé, and discussions of culture or knowledge often use the sense of cultivation of intellect or character rather than agriculture.

Etymology: cultivated derives from the French verb cultiver, which in turn comes from Latin cultivare, from cultus or colere, meaning tilling, tending, or cultivating. The figurative sense of refinement develops by extension from agricultural imagery.

See also: cultivation, culture, esprit cultivé, variétés cultivées.