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

In fields as varied as biomedicine, agriculture, and climate science, incremental refinement has yielded results of transformative impact. —John Drake, Forbes.com, 26 May 2025

But similar declines in relative importance are true for agriculture, forestry, fisheries and mining. —Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 25 May 2025

Importing plants or seeds from overseas can introduce invasive pests and plant diseases that threaten local agriculture and ecosystems. —Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 May 2025

Stormwater and agriculture, industrial, and sewage runoff all contribute to water contamination. —Katie Nadworny, Travel + Leisure, 22 May 2025

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

Rhymes for agriculture

• apiculture
• aquaculture
• counterculture
• floriculture
• horticulture
• mariculture
• monoculture
• sericulture
• silviculture
• viticulture
• arboriculture
• culture

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