civilized
Americanadjective
-
having an advanced or humane culture, society, etc.
-
polite; well-bred; refined.
-
of or relating to civilized people.
The civilized world must fight ignorance.
-
easy to manage or control; well organized or ordered.
The car is quiet and civilized, even in sharp turns.
adjective
-
having a high state of culture and social development
-
cultured; polite
a civilized discussion
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of civilized
Explanation
Someone who is cultured and polite — who knows to put his dinner napkin on his lap — is civilized. So could you please behave in a civilized manner and get your feet off the dinner table? Civilized is an adjective that describes the very opposite of barbarity. A civilized person is polite and courteous; he knows how to say "please" and "thank you." A civilized group of people is characterized by being socially and technologically advanced. Both dinner parties and fancy computer gadgets are signs of a civilized people. That friend of yours who likes to show people how he can belch the entire alphabet? Maybe not.
Vocabulary lists containing civilized
Excerpt from "Flipped"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Copper Sun
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Absolutely Normal Chaos
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Civilized life is largely life lived with strangers.
From Salon • Sep. 9, 2023
"Civilized Europe" saw the full-body tattoos on the Japanese as "backward", which led the latter to cover up the ink, except during religious festivals, Ms Yamamoto said in an online lecture in 2019.
From BBC • Jun. 7, 2023
Eventually we had a clique going, we called ourselves Civilized Human Beings for a time.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 18, 2022
In Muskogee, Okla., the Five Civilized Tribes Museum saw gift shop sales grow in 2021, thanks to sales of books and crafts, even as attendance fell slightly.
From Washington Post • Jan. 27, 2022
I heard that in Indian Territory they tried to send Natives from the Five Civilized Tribes to combat schools, but they quickly figured out what was what and all ran off.
From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
