civilize
verb (used with object)
to bring out of a savage, uneducated, or rude state; make civil; elevate in social and private life; enlighten; refine.
was civilizing
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past progressiveof civilize.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
Spain, having found the Americas, had, in a little over a hundred years of ceaseless exploration and conquest, settled and was civilizing them.
From The Spanish Pioneers by Charles F. Lummis
