civilization

[siv-uh-luh-zey-shuhn]

noun

1. an advanced state of human society, in which a high level of culture, science, industry, and government has been reached.

2. those people or nations that have reached such a state.

3. any type of culture, society, etc., of a specific place, time, or group.

   Greek civilization.

4. 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.

5. cultural refinement; refinement of thought and cultural appreciation.

   The letters of Madame de Sévigné reveal her wit and civilization.

6. cities or populated areas in general, as opposed to unpopulated or wilderness areas.

   The plane crashed in the jungle, hundreds of miles from civilization.

7. 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.

civilization

/ ˌsɪvɪlaɪˈzeɪʃən /

noun

1. 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

2. the peoples or nations collectively who have achieved such a state

3. the total culture and way of life of a particular people, nation, region, or period

   classical civilization

4. the process of bringing or achieving civilization

5. intellectual, cultural, and moral refinement

6. 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of civilization¹

First recorded in 1765–75; from French civilisation; civilize, -ation

Example Sentences

Sudan is a country with a long memory: Our history stretches back to the biblical Kingdom of Kush, one of Africa’s greatest civilizations.

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Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. once said, “I like to pay taxes. With them, I buy civilization.”

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“Those are the two main threats to our civilization.”

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If you have never written a to-do list, you are missing out on one of civilization’s greatest achievements.

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For example, Monsieur Jean-Jacques Rousseau believed that people were basically generous and kind, and that disagreeable behavior was caused by a poor upbringing and the corrupting influence of civilization.

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Related Words

• advancement 
• development 
• education 
• progress