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
Etymology
Origin of civilization
First recorded in 1765–75; from French civilisation; see civilize, -ation
Explanation
Civilization is the opposite of barbarism and chaos. Civilization is an advanced stage of human society, where people live with a reasonable degree of organization and comfort and can think about things like art and education. Civilization covers a wide range of human achievement — from the ancient Egyptians, to Mayan and Chinese civilizations, Western civilization, and everything in between. You can use the word more generally — when you're lost in the woods, you’ll be looking for signs of civilization — lights in the distance and smoke rising from chimneys. Civilization comes from Latin civis, "citizen." If you've got citizens, then you've got government and you're moving right along on the path of human advancement.
Vocabulary lists containing civilization
We the People: Civ
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Mesopotamia - Introductory
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Aztec, Maya, and Inca Empires - Introductory
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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.
Based on these findings, the researchers conclude that the Indus Valley Civilization did not collapse abruptly from a single climate event.
From Science Daily • Dec. 14, 2025
An octogenarian, Mick can still be seen dancing on the ashes of Western Civilization.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 11, 2025
It's been a long time since Civilization VI hit the shelves in 2016.
From BBC • Feb. 9, 2025
Her most recent book is “The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World.”
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 22, 2024
It was in the promise behind their grand titles—Children of the Sun, Wonderful Ethiopians of the Ancient Cushite Empire, The African Origin of Civilization.
From "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates
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.
