Definition of civilization
1a : a relatively high level of cultural and technological development; specifically : the stage of cultural development at which writing and the keeping of written records is attainedb : the culture characteristic of a particular time or place the impact of European civilization on the lands they colonized
2 : the process of becoming civilized civilization is a slow process with many failures and setbacks
3a : refinement of thought, manners, or taste exhibiting a high level of civilizationb : a situation of urban comfort Our African safari was quite interesting, but it was great to get back to civilization.
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Examples of civilization in a Sentence
the impact of technical advancements on civilization
We are studying ancient Greek civilization.
a book about life on the planet after wars have destroyed civilization
Recent Examples of civilization from the Web
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There are important lessons in the unlikely story of how the world came to mitigate the effects of a ticking time bomb under modern civilization.
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The book is co-authored by Frank Drake, the renowned astrophysicist who came up with an equation to estimate the number of potential alien civilizations in the Milky Way.
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The Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Saracens and Normans are just a few of the civilizations that invaded, each leaving their mark.
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But human civilization was built around our supposedly unique ability to plan—to anticipate future needs and sacrifice now to reap the rewards later.
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War is a smaller film, more compact, sinewy thriller than grand drama of civilization.
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For Donald Trump’s most ideological supporters, this election was about Western civilization itself.
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Our freedom, our civilization, and our survival depend on these bonds of history, culture, and memory. . . .
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Trump’s Warsaw speech raised eyebrows by twinning stifling government bureaucracies with terrorism as threats to western civilization.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'civilization.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of civilization
see civil
Other Sociology Terms
CIVILIZATION Defined for English Language Learners
civilization
playDefinition of civilization for English Language Learners
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: the condition that exists when people have developed effective ways of organizing a society and care about art, science, etc.
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: a particular well-organized and developed society
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: all the societies of the world
CIVILIZATION Defined for Kids
civilization
playDefinition of civilization for Students
1 : an advanced stage (as in art, science, and government) in the development of society
2 : the way of life of a people Greek civilization
3 : all the societies of the world the end of civilization
Learn More about civilization
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See words that rhyme with civilization Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for civilization Spanish Central: Translation of civilization Nglish: Translation of civilization for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of civilization for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about civilization
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