civilization

American  

[siv-uh-luh-zey-shuhn] / ˌsɪv ə ləˈzeɪ ʃən /

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.

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civilization British  

/ 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

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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

"They appreciate what you've done to help Israel and to help our common battle against the terrorists and those who would destroy our civilization. So again, that's an expression of thanks and appreciation."

From Barron's

If quantum computing cracks bitcoin, it’s already cracked the entire digital infrastructure of modern civilization.

From MarketWatch

“The empathy exploit. They’re exploiting a bug in Western civilization, which is the empathy response. So, I think, you know, empathy is good, but you need to think it through.”

From Los Angeles Times

By the twentieth century, the idea of Western civilization had taken hold in the U.S., which had earlier sought to distinguish itself from the Old World.

From The Wall Street Journal

The collapse that followed the war turned multinational empires into nation-states and began the “gruesome death” of Central European civilization.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• advancement
• development
• education
• progress