civilization
Americannoun
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an advanced state of human society, in which a high level of culture, science, industry, and government has been reached.
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those people or nations that have reached such a state.
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any type of culture, society, etc., of a specific place, time, or group.
Greek civilization.
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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.
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cultural refinement; refinement of thought and cultural appreciation.
The letters of Madame de Sévigné reveal her wit and civilization.
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cities or populated areas in general, as opposed to unpopulated or wilderness areas.
The plane crashed in the jungle, hundreds of miles from civilization.
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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.
noun
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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
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the peoples or nations collectively who have achieved such a state
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the total culture and way of life of a particular people, nation, region, or period
classical civilization
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the process of bringing or achieving civilization
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intellectual, cultural, and moral refinement
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cities or populated areas, as contrasted with sparsely inhabited areas, deserts, etc
Other Word Forms
- civilizational adjective
- decivilization noun
- hypercivilization noun
- intercivilization noun
- overcivilization noun
- postcivilization adjective
- precivilization noun
- subcivilization noun
- supercivilization noun
Etymology
Origin of civilization
First recorded in 1765–75; from French civilisation; civilize, -ation
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.
After a comet devastates most of civilization in the first movie, Gerard Butler returns to lead an especially hardy family of survivors into a bold new future.
From Los Angeles Times
It was the first sign of civilization they’d seen since tangling with Momma Bear, and they excitedly picked up their pace.
From Literature
It doesn’t help that civilization seems determined to cut them off from the desert’s wonders.
From Los Angeles Times
By the end, I had a better understanding of the people building the technology with the power to transform civilization than I did 84 minutes earlier.
It’s been so long since civilization collapsed that Sir Lord Jimmy’s followers will believe anything, even his tales about being the son of the Devil, whom he calls “Old Nick.”
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.
