civilization
an advanced state of human society, in which a high level of culture, science, industry, and government has been reached.
those people or nations that have reached such a state.
any type of culture, society, etc., of a specific place, time, or group: Greek civilization.
the act or process of civilizing, as by bringing out of a savage, uneducated, or unrefined state, or of being civilized: Rome's civilization of barbaric tribes was admirable.
cultural refinement; refinement of thought and cultural appreciation: The letters of Madame de Sévigné reveal her wit and civilization.
cities or populated areas in general, as opposed to unpopulated or wilderness areas: The plane crashed in the jungle, hundreds of miles from civilization.
modern comforts and conveniences, as made possible by science and technology: After a week in the woods, without television or even running water, the campers looked forward to civilization again.
Origin of civilization
1word story For civilization
Once a nation, culture, or group of people has been brought out of the “savage” darkness into an enlightened and advanced state, it becomes a civilization. This sense arose about the same time, but without the imperialistic undertones attached to the original meaning of the word. When used with a modifier, it refers to the civilization of a specific region ( European civilization, French civilization ), people ( Mayan civilization ), or period of time ( modern civilization ).
In the early 19th century, speakers of English started using civilization to mean cities or populated areas in general—that is, places where civilizations are located. This word is applied as well to the comforts and conveniences associated with populated areas, so that today we might use civilization to describe what we have left behind if we go camping in the wilderness and have no cellphone coverage.
Other words from civilization
- civ·i·li·za·tion·al, adjective
- de·civ·i·li·za·tion, noun
- hy·per·civ·i·li·za·tion, noun
- in·ter·civ·i·li·za·tion, noun
- o·ver·civ·i·li·za·tion, noun
- post·civ·i·li·za·tion, adjective
- pre·civ·i·li·za·tion, noun
- sub·civ·i·li·za·tion, noun
- su·per·civ·i·li·za·tion, noun
Words Nearby civilization
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use civilization in a sentence
John Paul II told the European Union at the time that it was “a beacon of civilization.”
Instead, it would return European civilization back to a period of darkness not witnessed since the Middle Ages.
They pointed to a common claim: that at some point in distant history there was a civilization of giants.
Crawford leads them in plunging back into the river whose waters fed the first civilization.
This war, said Poroshenko, is a “choice between civilization and barbarism.”
Ukraine’s President Wowed Congress, But His Party Has a Dark Side | Anna Nemtsova | September 19, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Within the past thirty years civilization has rapidly taken possession of this lovely region.
Among the Sioux | R. J. CreswellWilliam has thus been happily able to report to the society the approaching conversion of M'Bongo and his imminent civilization.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3) | Charles James WillsThe whole history of human civilization was denounced as an unredeemed record of the spoliation of the weak by the strong.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice | Stephen LeacockThe nerves of our industrial civilization are worn thin with the rattle of its own machinery.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice | Stephen LeacockHere was a bit of a civilization of a building era, that was almost old, everything being relative.
Ancestors | Gertrude Atherton
British Dictionary definitions for civilization
civilisation
/ (ˌsɪvɪlaɪˈzeɪʃən) /
a human society that has highly developed material and spiritual resources and a complex cultural, political, and legal organization; an advanced state in social development
the peoples or nations collectively who have achieved such a state
the total culture and way of life of a particular people, nation, region, or period: classical civilization
the process of bringing or achieving civilization
intellectual, cultural, and moral refinement
cities or populated areas, as contrasted with sparsely inhabited areas, deserts, etc
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Browse