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
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
There is only one religion in uncivilized society, and that is Kendall Roy.
—Natalie Lin, Vulture, 3 Dec. 2021
See All Example Sentences for uncivilized
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
There is only one religion in uncivilized society, and that is Kendall Roy.
—Natalie Lin, Vulture, 3 Dec. 2021
See All Example Sentences for uncivilized
Recent Examples of Synonyms for uncivilized
Adjective
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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
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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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Combined with not intervening too often, this will minimize the number of rude responses.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
29 Oct. 2025
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Basil, of course, is far from perfect, a rude, neurotic, accident-prone manager who insults guests, hides his gambling winnings from his wife and organizes an elaborate impersonation of her when his surprise anniversary party backfires.—
Rhett Bartlett,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The warm, relatable territory where the first season ends up doesn’t fully square with the savage satire promised by the pilot.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
30 Oct. 2025
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August Strindberg’s savage chamber drama gets transported to Ireland in Liv Ullmann’s sharp, surprisingly suspenseful adaptation.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The honks of wild Canada geese, for instance, fresh out of the Arctic and now high in the clouds going south, signal a change in seasons for me.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Nov. 2025
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The Jets finally earned their first win of the season in Week 8 after a wild comeback against the Cincinnati Bengals, but with their 1-7 record and seemingly no future in sight, new general manager Darren Mougey has opted to ship his star corner.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Whether towing its matching trailer or not, the Elevance SUV is carefully designed for moving confidently from city streets to primitive stretches of off-road.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
29 Oct. 2025
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The study also explains why some primitive meteorites formed millions of years later than the first solid bodies in the solar system.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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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
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The barbarous relic has glittered amidst the financial carnage.—
Brett Owens,
Forbes.com,
1 May 2025
Adjective
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The blurring of lines around belief seems to surface our barbaric gears.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
2 Nov. 2025
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But the experience too often triggers barbaric rage.—
Ed Lavandera,
CNN Money,
11 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Uncivilized.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/uncivilized. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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