agriculture

noun

ag·​ri·​cul·​ture ˈa-gri-ˌkəl-chər 

: the science, art, or practice of cultivating the soil, producing crops, and raising livestock and in varying degrees the preparation and marketing of the resulting products

cleared the land to use it for agriculture

agriculturist

ˌa-gri-ˈkəl-ch(ə-)rist 

noun

or agriculturalist

ˌa-gri-ˈkəl-ch(ə-)rə-list 

Synonyms

• farming
• husbandry

Examples of agriculture in a Sentence

They cleared the land to use it for agriculture.

the forest was cut down, and the land given over to agriculture

Recent Examples on the Web

Although Trump has declared his intention to claw back unspent Inflation Reduction Act funds, experts say rescinding farm conservation money could irritate the agriculture industry. —Madeline Heim, Journal Sentinel, 20 Nov. 2024

Reflecting on Bright Tide’s trajectory, Wright remains steadfast in his belief that agriculture can be a vehicle for planetary health. —Daphne Ewing-Chow, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024

Meanwhile, the government has argued that the new measure will not impact most farms and is ultimately a step to protect the agriculture industry. —Byprarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 4 Nov. 2024

However, experts warn that the abrupt removal of millions of immigrants would likely lead to economic instability, particularly in industries heavily reliant on undocumented labor, such as agriculture and hospitality. —Brian Bennett, TIME, 3 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin agricultura, from ager field + cultura cultivation — more at acre, culture

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing agriculture

• community-supported agriculture

Kids Definition

agriculture

noun

ag·​ri·​cul·​ture ˈag-ri-ˌkəl-chər 

: the science or occupation of cultivating the soil, producing crops, and raising livestock : farming

agriculturist

ˌag-ri-ˈkəlch- (ə-)rəst 

noun

or agriculturalist

-(ə-)rə-ləst