definitions

uncivilized

[ uhn-siv-uh-lahyzd ]
/ ʌnˈsɪv əˌlaɪzd /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR uncivilized ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

not civilized or cultured; barbarous.

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RELATED WORDS

boorish, barbarous, rude, disrespectful, vulgar, churlish, impolite, barbaric, unconscionable, barbarian, coarse, crass, crude, discourteous, gross, impertinent, loutish, outrageous, primitive, rugged

Nearby words

uncirculated, uncircumcised, uncircumcision, uncivil, uncivility, uncivilized, unclad, unclaimed, unclamp, unclasp, unclassical

Origin of uncivilized

First recorded in 1600–10; un-1 + civilized
Related formsun·civ·i·liz·ed·ly [uhn-siv-uh-lahy-zid-lee, -lahyzd-] /ʌnˈsɪv əˌlaɪ zɪd li, -ˌlaɪzd-/, adverbun·civ·i·liz·ed·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for uncivilized

British Dictionary definitions for uncivilized

uncivilized

uncivilised

/ (ʌnˈsɪvɪˌlaɪzd) /

adjective

(of a tribe or people) not yet civilized, esp preliterate
lacking culture or sophistication
Derived Formsuncivilizedly or uncivilisedly (ʌnˈsɪvɪˌlaɪzɪdlɪ), adverbuncivilizedness or uncivilisedness, noun
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

Word Origin and History for uncivilized

uncivilized

adj.

c.1600, "barbarous," from un- (1) "not" + past participle of civilize. Uncivil in the same sense is recorded from 1550s.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper