civilize

verb

civ·​i·​lize ˈsi-və-ˌlīz 

civilized; civilizing

transitive verb

1

: to cause to develop out of a primitive state

especially : to bring to a technically advanced and rationally ordered stage of cultural development

2

a

: educate, refine

b

: socialize sense 1

intransitive verb

: to acquire the customs and amenities of a civil community

civilizer noun

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 on the Web

In this view, other European immigrants were unsuitable for civilizing the frontier—Southern Europeans were effete and decadent while Eastern European Jews were hapless in the woods and better-suited to urban, commercial spaces. —Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 5 June 2025

Five decades of broken agreements have shown that side-deals and photo-ops cannot civilize a theocracy. —Kazem Kazerounian, Hartford Courant, 29 May 2025

Under the guise of a civilizing mission, the empire of AI is accelerating its global expansion and entrenching its power. —Karen Hao, The Atlantic, 15 May 2025

But Scandinavia has always struck me as unusually civilized. —Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 14 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1595, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for civilize

• advertise
• aggrandize
• agonize
• alibis
• alkalies
• alkalis
• amortize
• amplifies
• analyse
• analyze
• anywise
• authorize

Kids Definition

civilize

verb

civ·​i·​lize ˈsiv-ə-ˌlīz 

civilized; civilizing

: to cause to develop out of a primitive state

especially : to bring to an advanced stage (as in art, science, and government) of social development

civilized adjective