Standard Lemma guide

inculcate

adj · verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • US: /ˈɪn.kʌl.keɪt/
  • UK: /ɪnˈkʌl.keɪt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: IH1 NG K AH0 L K EY2 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Inculcated.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable, obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To teach by repeated instruction.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: instill, ingrain

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To induce understanding or a particular sentiment in a person or persons.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

teach and impress by frequent repetitions or admonitions

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • inculcate values into the young generation

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: instill, infuse

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: drill

Narrower terms: din

History

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.

Across languages

Translations

38 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: մտքում տպավորել (mtkʻum tpavorel) — teach by repeated instruction
  • Armenian: արմատավորել (armatavorel) — teach by repeated instruction
  • Armenian: մտցնել (mtcʻnel) — teach by repeated instruction
  • Armenian: պատվաստել (patvastel) — teach by repeated instruction
  • Bulgarian: втълпявам (vtǎlpjavam) — teach by repeated instruction
  • Catalan: inculcar — teach by repeated instruction
  • Crimean Tatar: talim — teach by repeated instruction
  • Czech: vštípit — teach by repeated instruction
  • Dutch: inprenten — teach by repeated instruction
  • French: inculquer — teach by repeated instruction
  • German: einimpfen — teach by repeated instruction
  • German: einschärfen — teach by repeated instruction
  • Italian: inculcare — teach by repeated instruction
  • Latin: inculcō — teach by repeated instruction
  • Norwegian: innprente — teach by repeated instruction
  • Polish: wdrażać — teach by repeated instruction
  • Polish: wdrożyć — teach by repeated instruction
  • Portuguese: inculcar — teach by repeated instruction
  • Russian: прививать (privivatʹ) — teach by repeated instruction
  • Serbo-Croatian: utuviti — teach by repeated instruction
  • Spanish: inculcar — teach by repeated instruction
  • Turkish: telkin etmek — teach by repeated instruction
  • Armenian: ներշնչել (neršnčʻel) — to induce understanding or a particular sentiment in a person or persons
  • Armenian: արմատավորել (armatavorel) — to induce understanding or a particular sentiment in a person or persons
  • Armenian: մտցնել (mtcʻnel) — to induce understanding or a particular sentiment in a person or persons
  • Armenian: հաղորդել (haġordel) — to induce understanding or a particular sentiment in a person or persons
  • Bulgarian: внушавам (vnušavam) — to induce understanding or a particular sentiment in a person or persons
  • Latin: inculcō — to induce understanding or a particular sentiment in a person or persons
  • Polish: wpajać — to induce understanding or a particular sentiment in a person or persons
  • Polish: wpoić — to induce understanding or a particular sentiment in a person or persons
  • Polish: wszczepiać — to induce understanding or a particular sentiment in a person or persons
  • Polish: wszczepić — to induce understanding or a particular sentiment in a person or persons
  • Romanian: inculca — to induce understanding or a particular sentiment in a person or persons
  • Romanian: înrădăcina — to induce understanding or a particular sentiment in a person or persons
  • Russian: внушать (vnušatʹ) — to induce understanding or a particular sentiment in a person or persons
  • Russian: насаждать (nasaždatʹ) — to induce understanding or a particular sentiment in a person or persons
  • Spanish: inculcar — to induce understanding or a particular sentiment in a person or persons
  • Tamil: பதி (pati) — to induce understanding or a particular sentiment in a person or persons