Make Your Point > Archived Issues > INCULCATE

Send Make Your Point issues straight to your inbox.

explore the archives: Inculcate literally means "to stamp in," or "to tread down," which is why it has the root for "the heel of the foot:" calx. (It's just spelled differently inside the word.) That root calx also gave us r_calc____nt, which literally means "kicking back" but today means "disobedient, uncooperative, hard to control." Can you recall that word? make your point with... "INCULCATE" To inculcate an idea on someone is to force that idea onto the person's mind, usually by teaching it over and over in a harsh or serious way. Pronunciation: Either "IN kull kate" or "in KULL kate." Both ways are correct. Part of speech: Transitive verb. (Like "eat," "try," and "want," all transitive verbs do something to an object. You eat a banana, try a game, and want a new phone. Likewise, you inculcate something or someone.) Other forms: inculcated, inculcating; inculcation(s); inculcator(s) How to use it: We inculcate an idea on people by teaching it over and over in a forceful way. So, you might guess that we inculcate only bad ideas. Actually, the ideas that we inculcate can be both good and bad, from traits like patience and kindness to apathy and prejudice. Talk about someone (or some group) inculcating opinions, beliefs, or views on people; inculcating perceptions or attitudes on people; inculcating values or mores on people; inculcating desires or goals on people; inculcating warnings on people; inculcating habits on people; inculcating tastes for things or an appreciation for things on people, etc. Though we often talk about inculcating things on people, we can also inculcate things on people's minds. Notice how I keep using the pattern "inculcate something on someone"? You can also inculcate things upon, unto, in, to, and into someone. "Inculcate on" is simply more common, and it makes sense when you recall that "inculcate" basically means "stomp down on." But you can also literally interpret "inculcate" as "stomp in," so it also makes sense to use all those other prepositions--"inculcate in," "inculcate into" and so on. We can also say that an idea inculcates itself into someone's mind, or that someone inculcates something into his or her own mind. A note on concision. When your meaning is clear, you don't have to mention both the idea and the person receiving it. That is, although you can say "They inculcated this message on the children very well," you can also just say "They inculcated their message very well" or "They inculcated these children very well." And, a note on word order. Although it's more common to use the word order "inculcate something on someone," you can switch that and say "inculcate on someone something." For example, either "They inculcated this message on the children" or "They inculcated on the children this message." Lastly, we can be inculcated with something: "kids inculcated with their parents' political beliefs," "a generation inculcated with this radical ideology." examples: In glossy pamphlets and on sleek websites, the school promised to inculcate on its students a sense of respect, self-discipline, and studiousness. Mom didn't have to inculcate her entrepreneurial spirit on us; we took to it naturally. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "inculcate" means when you can explain it without saying "drill in" or "indoctrinate." try it out: Fill in the blank: "My parents' generation inculcated in their children the belief that _____." Example: "My parents' generation inculcated in their children the belief that self-esteem needn't depend on actual achievement." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. Our game this month is called "Cousins or Strangers?" Consider two pairs of similar-looking words, and figure out which pair are truly related, like cousins, and which pair are unrelated, like strangers. "Related," of course, is a relative concept (ha ha). We're interested in closeness: "compute" and "computer" are sisters, or variations of the same word; "vision" and "video" are cousins, sharing the same Latin root; but "compute" and "video" are strangers. From our previous issue: Pair A: ANTLERS and ANTENNAE. These are the strangers. "Antlers" probably traces back to a word meaning "a horn in front of the eyes," from Latin words meaning "before" (ante) and "related to eyes" (ocularis). But "antennae" comes from a Latin word meaning "sail yard," that bar that goes across the mast of a ship. Pair B: EVENT and EVENTUALLY. These are the cousins: both come from the Latin evenire, meaning "to happen," or literally "to come out." Ready to check out two more pairs? Remember, one pair will be cousins; the other, strangers. Which is which? Pair A: POLITE and POLITICAL Pair B: ORIENTAL and ORIENTATION review today's word: 1. A close opposite of INCULCATE is A. ERASE B. INSTILL C. PROTECT 2. Even atheists can appreciate the _____ that religions have widely inculcated. A. improvement in social welfare B. beautiful architecture C. prosocial morals Answers are below. a final word: To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. A 2. C