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Definition of civilize
civilized
;civilizing
civilizer
nounRead the Latest from M-W
Examples of civilize in a Sentence
Her parents hoped that boarding school might civilize her some.
a teacher who had a civilizing influence on the students
He is credited with civilizing the treatment of people with mental illnesses.
efforts to civilize the health-care system
They believed it was their duty to civilize the native people.
Recent Examples of civilize from the Web
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This depiction of Ivanka and Melania as civilizing forces on Trump—a ridiculous assertion disproven over and again—is in part why so many women voted for a raving misogynist in the first place.
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Mr. Ricoeur’s work, the newspaper Le Monde most recently pointed out, is shot through with apparent paradoxes, which in reality expressed a kind of civilizing wish to find a middle ground.
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Rise bloody, maybe not too late For having first to civilize a space Wherein to play your violin with grace.
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The island would magically civilize us into our best possible versions of ourselves.
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Americans civilize quite prolifically: outhouses in Arizona’s Canyon DeChelly National Park; a wooden walkway weaving through Montana’s Glacier National Park.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'civilize'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of civilize
1595
CIVILIZE Defined for English Language Learners
civilize
playDefinition of civilize for English Language Learners
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: to teach (a person or group of people) to behave in a way that you think is more polite and gentle
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: to make (something) more gentle, fair, reasonable, etc.
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: to cause (a group of people) to have a more highly organized and modern way of living
CIVILIZE Defined for Kids
civilize
playDefinition of civilize for Students
civilized
;civilizing
: to cause to have a more advanced or modern way of living
Learn More about civilize
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See words that rhyme with civilize Spanish Central: Translation of civilize Nglish: Translation of civilize for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of civilize for Arabic speakers
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