civilization

noun civ·i·li·za·tion \ ˌsi-və-lə-ˈzā-shən \

|Updated on: 14 Jul 2018

Examples: civilization in a Sentence

Definition of civilization

1 a : 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 attained

b : 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

3 a : refinement of thought, manners, or taste

exhibiting a high level of civilization

b : a situation of urban comfort

Our African safari was quite interesting, but it was great to get back to civilization.

—

civilizational

play \-shnəl, -shə-nᵊl\ adjective

See civilization defined for English-language learners

See civilization defined for kids

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

Serbs and Albanians, and certainly Serbs and Kosovar Albanians, have a complicated relationship and a long history of conflict — particularly over Kosovo, which Serbians view as the cradle of Serbian civilization.

— ani kokobobo, Washington Post, "For Albanians, it’s not just an eagle. Here’s the deeper story those World Cup fines.," 2 July 2018
After all, if the Earth becomes inhabitable—whether in 200 years or in 200,000 years—the only known civilization in the history of the solar system will suddenly go extinct.

— derek thompson, The Atlantic, "Is Colonizing Mars the Most Important Project in Human History?," 29 June 2018
Established in 1819, its collection contains relics from the American Revolution, the Titanic (currently on loan to the Smithsonian Museum), as well as items from ancient civilizations.

— elizabeth heubeck, baltimoresun.com, "Freemasons' Bonnie Blink sits on a hill in Cockeysville, caters to elderly residents," 20 June 2018
Athens also claimed that using the name was an attempt to appropriate the ancient civilization of Macedonia, a Greek kingdom ruled by Philip II and Alexander the Great.

— niki kitsantonis, BostonGlobe.com, "Macedonia signs historic deal with Greece on name dispute," 17 June 2018
Explorers of the American continents sent back reports of the great achievements of unknown civilizations like the Inca and the Aztec.

— lorraine boissoneault, Smithsonian, "What if Napoleon Hadn’t Lost Europe and Other Questions of Alternate History," 14 June 2018
Doesn’t that contradict the ongoing fantasy of industrial civilization?

— aaron gilbreath, Longreads, "Drought In Post-Apartheid Cape Town: An Interview with Eve Fairbanks," 12 June 2018
Now, traces of lead pollution buried deep in the Greenland ice are being uncovered, revealing the rise and fall of ancient European civilizations, according to a new study.

— doyle rice, USA TODAY, "Secrets in the ice: Pollution in Greenland reveals rise and fall of ancient European civilizations," 14 May 2018
It's estimated that the children - and 200 young llamas - were sacrificed about 550 years ago, when the area was home to the pre-Columbian Chimú civilization.

— marwa eltagouri, ajc, "Remains of 140 children found in Peru, pointing to world's largest ancient child sacrifice," 28 Apr. 2018

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1760

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

civilization Synonyms

Other Sociology Terms

bourgeois, ethos, eugenics, exurb, incommunicado, intelligentsia, megalopolis, metrosexual, mores, subculture

CIVILIZATION Defined for English Language Learners

civilization

noun

Definition of civilization for English Language Learners

: the condition that exists when people have developed effective ways of organizing a society and care about art, science, etc.
: a particular well-organized and developed society
: all the societies of the world