French Conversation · Level 77
60 words
French word
cultivé
Pronunciation
IPA/kyltive/
Meaning
- adjectivecultured
Example
Il est cultivé.
He is cultured.
More examples
Une personne cultivée lit beaucoup.
A cultured person reads a lot.
Core concept
A person whose broad knowledge and refined behavior show long cultivation of the mind and character.
Common phrases
être cultivé
be cultured
une personne cultivée
a cultured person
esprit cultivé
a cultured mind
Similar words
instruit: Educated and knowledgeable through schooling or study.
éduqué: Well brought up, with good manners and social graces.
Definition in French
Qui manifeste de l'instruction et des connaissances ainsi qu'un goût soigné dans le langage et les manières.
Word origin
Cultivé developed from the past participle of cultiver, whose Latin ancestry expressed tending or cultivating, with the concrete sense later applied to intellectual formation.
Usage tips
- For a person, cultivé is a fairly formal compliment meaning cultured or well educated rather than merely intelligent.