as in barbarian
not civilized
unfairly branded as uncivilized by European explorers, they had created a culture that was actually quite advanced
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Recent Examples of uncivilized
There is no doubt uncivilized — and sometimes violent — acts have taken place in school bathrooms.
—
Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 26 June 2022
Roxane Gay: For all our cultural obsession with civility, there is nothing more uncivilized than the political establishment’s acceptance of the constancy of mass shootings.
—New York Times, 26 May 2022
Sure, the song (apparently written about writer Quentin Crisp) is just about the alienating sense of being an outsider, of having people judge you for your accent or aspiring to civility in an uncivilized land.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Apr. 2022
The Qing emperors themselves were not Han either, but Manchu, a people from the other side of the Great Wall who had traditionally been regarded as uncivilized nomads.
—Ian Buruma, Harper’s Magazine , 18 Jan. 2022
See All Example Sentences for uncivilized
Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 26 June 2022
Roxane Gay: For all our cultural obsession with civility, there is nothing more uncivilized than the political establishment’s acceptance of the constancy of mass shootings.
—New York Times, 26 May 2022
Sure, the song (apparently written about writer Quentin Crisp) is just about the alienating sense of being an outsider, of having people judge you for your accent or aspiring to civility in an uncivilized land.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Apr. 2022
The Qing emperors themselves were not Han either, but Manchu, a people from the other side of the Great Wall who had traditionally been regarded as uncivilized nomads.
—Ian Buruma, Harper’s Magazine , 18 Jan. 2022
See All Example Sentences for uncivilized
Recent Examples of Synonyms for uncivilized
Adjective
-
Ashley Johnson and star/executive producer Travis Willingham tee up what's coming for their soft barbarian lady.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Bailey plays half-elf ranger Vex, O’Brien is her twin brother Vax, Willingham is the lovable barbarian Grog, Johnson is the holy gnome cleric Pike, Jaffe is the royal gunslinger Percy, Ray is magical half-elf druid Keyleth and Riegel is the raunchy gnome bard Scanlan.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
24 July 2025
Adjective
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Other complaints from the boys included rude police officers and strict rules.—
Amanda Rosa,
Miami Herald,
21 Mar. 2026
-
While Ward’s speed made for a rude welcoming, the most notable part of Cole’s day was his velocity.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The loss of books is minor, almost trivial, in light of all the horrors and violence unleashed by this senseless war, but the potential loss of these books is a sad reminder that we’re all affected and implicated in America’s savage flailings.—
James Folta,
Literary Hub,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Conan O'Brien hit almost every note on Sunday — savage, playful, heartfelt and dumb.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The End features performances from Shane Gillis, Nate Bargatze, Tom Segura, Tony Hinchcliffe, and many more of comedy’s top storytellers, who share their wildest, most unfiltered true stories in front of a live audience.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Leah pokes her head out around his legs, her eyes wild with excitement.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Take a boat to the primitive island of Palmarola, and swim near volcanic sea stacks.—
Kristina Kasparian,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Mar. 2026
-
In November 1985, the company launched Windows, a graphical operating environment layered on top of its operating system MS-DOS, which is primitive by modern standards, but radical for its time.—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Lies told by people who are simply too afraid to look at such an ugly, barbarous reality.—
Clare Malone,
New Yorker,
19 Jan. 2026
-
In the northwest suburbs of Minneapolis, a man dressed as a cop shot two Democratic lawmakers and their spouses, killing the DFL speaker of the House and her husband in a barbarous (and politically motivated) atrocity.—
Jeffrey Blehar,
National Review,
14 June 2025
Adjective
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What kind of barbaric regime puts a school for little girls in a compound that used to be military?—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Is there any knowing what would have happened, had these crimes not been captured in all their barbaric glory?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Uncivilized.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/uncivilized. Accessed 24 Mar. 2026.
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