overcivilized

adjective

over·​civ·​i·​lized ˌō-vər-ˈsi-və-ˌlīzd How to pronounce overcivilized (audio)
: civilized to an excessive degree
… the idea held in some of the upper classes that America was somehow soft—"overcivilized," as Theodore Roosevelt put it.Evan Thomas
… the social drapery commonly muffling, in an overcivilized age, the sharpness of human contacts.Henry James

Word History

First Known Use

1822, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of overcivilized was in 1822

Dictionary Entries Near overcivilized

Cite this Entry

“Overcivilized.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overcivilized. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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