civilized

[ siv-uh-lahyzd ]

/ ˈsɪv əˌlaɪzd /

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See synonyms for civilized on Thesaurus.com

adjective

having an advanced or humane culture, society, etc.

polite; well-bred; refined.

of or relating to civilized people: The civilized world must fight ignorance.

easy to manage or control; well organized or ordered: The car is quiet and civilized, even in sharp turns.

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TAKE JOY IN ACING THIS QUIZ ON “PRIDE” SYNONYMS

Hold your head up high as you embark on this quiz that explores some of the synonyms and meanings of “pride.”

Question 1 of 7

What does "dignity" mean?

showing self-respect

treating others with kindness

acting selfishly

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Origin of civilized

First recorded in 1605–15; civilize + -ed²

OTHER WORDS FROM civilized

civ·i·liz·ed·ness

[siv-uh-lahy-zid-nis, -lahyzd], /ˈsɪv əˌlaɪ zɪd nɪs, -ˌlaɪzd/, nounhalf-civ·il·ized, adjectivehy·per·civ·i·lized, adjectivenon·civ·i·lized, adjective

sub·civ·i·lized, adjectivesu·per·civ·i·lized, adjectiveul·tra·civ·i·lized, adjectivewell-civ·i·lized, adjective

Words nearby civilized

civilianize, civilian review board, civility, civilization, civilize, civilized, civil law, civil libertarian, civil liberties, civil liberty, civil list

How to use civilized in a sentence

Although it sounds like you just put your house shoes in the microwave, the process can be more civilized than that.
Best heated slippers: Say goodbye to cold feet|Eri Simmons|August 20, 2021|Popular-Science
That the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others.
The Economic Case for Vaccine Passports - Facts So Romantic|Robert H. Frank|August 17, 2021|Nautilus
He began by saying that “England and all civilized nations stand in deadly peril,” variously referring to “a colossal problem” of “urgent importance,” an “impending catastrophe,” and “a life-and-death question for generations to come.”
Why I’m a proud solutionist|Jason Crawford|July 13, 2021|MIT Technology Review
His 2015 paper, “A SARS-like cluster of circulating bat coronaviruses shows potential for human emergence,” was a tour de force, utilizing bleeding-edge genetic technology to alert the civilized world to a looming danger on its periphery.
Inside the risky bat-virus engineering that links America to Wuhan|Rowan Jacobsen|June 29, 2021|MIT Technology Review

A civilized society protects children and vulnerable populations.
The Baby Brokers: Inside America’s Murky Private-Adoption Industry|Tik Root|June 3, 2021|Time
The last six months have been a stark reminder of the brutality that lurks at the boundaries of civilized society.
All Aboard the USS Persecution Complex|Candida Moss, Joel Baden|October 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A mark of the civilized person is that he in no way luxuriates in his violence.
Thank Goodness We’ve Got A Plan! Let the War Begin!|Michael Carson|September 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In any other civilized nation this effort at some kind of summer escape would barely raise an eyebrow.
Obama’s Extravagant Summer Break? More Like, America’s Vacation-Deficit Disorder|Clive Irving|August 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
An innocent person condemned by law is perhaps the most horrifying thing a civilized society can acknowledge.
Crime Fighter’s Dilemma: My Country or My Family?|Moral Courage|April 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It means being more civilized, and treating breaking up as an opportunity for personal growth.
Seriously Gwyneth? WTF Is ‘Conscious Uncoupling’?|Tim Teeman|March 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Who could suppose that two tolerably civilized nations would endure this in the middle of 1851?
Glances at Europe|Horace Greeley
Then we are again overgrown boys, beings of inferior race and incapable of being civilized.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
Hereditary legislation in the twentieth century and the most civilized country in the world!
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton
The critical moralist pauses before the formidable array of the entire social world, civilized and savage.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
There is nothing picturesque in those old towns, for they were dead before they were civilized.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton

British Dictionary definitions for civilized

civilized

civilised

/ (ˈsɪvɪˌlaɪzd) /

adjective

having a high state of culture and social development

cultured; politea civilized discussion

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

civilized

Origin of civilized

OTHER WORDS FROM civilized

Words nearby civilized

Words related to civilized

How to use civilized in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for civilized

civilised