Inculcate
adj, verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 To teach by repeated instruction. transitive
"Those impious Pigs, Who, by frequent squeaks, have dared impugn The settled Swellfoot system, or to make Irreverent mockery of the genuflexions Inculcated by the arch-priest, have been whipt Into a loyal and an orthodox whine."
- 2 teach and impress by frequent repetitions or admonitions wordnet
- 3 To induce understanding or a particular sentiment in a person or persons. transitive
"all preachers , especially such as be of good temper , and have wisdom with conscience , ought to inculcate and beat upon a peace , silence , and surseance"
- 1 Inculcated. not-comparable, obsolete
"Wee had neede to haue the word of God often inculcate and beaten vpon vs."
Example
More examples"The evil of religion does not lie in the religion itself, but in its purveyors, who try to inculcate moral certainty; it is this moral certainty that leads to abuses."
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin inculcātus, perfect passive participle of inculcō (“impress upon, force upon”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from in- (“in”) + calcō (“tread upon, trample”), from calx (“heel”). Participial usage of the adjective up until Early Modern English.
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.