CIVILIZATION Synonyms: 56 Similar and Opposite Words

civilization

noun

ˌsi-və-lə-ˈzā-shən

Definition of civilization

as in lifestyle

the way people live at a particular time and place a documentary on the advanced civilization created by the Mayas over a thousand years ago

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in culture

a high level of taste and enlightenment as a result of extensive intellectual training and exposure to the arts by the 18th century Boston had reached a level of civilization sufficiently advanced to support a circle of portrait painters

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of civilization Future Past is a 100-minute film inspired by archaeological finds from the Sanxingdui civilization. — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 29 Oct. 2026 Here was a small civilization, an oasis in the inhospitable desert, surrounded on all sides by mountains. — Gaby Del Valle, The Verge, 29 Oct. 2026 There were also groups that sought out revealed knowledge from ancient civilizations or religious teachings, like the Rosicrucians, who dated back to the 18th century. — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026 The Chinese don’t want to see catastrophic harms to all of human civilization, either. — Sigal Samuel, Vox, 27 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for civilization

Recent Examples of Synonyms for civilization

Noun

The days of the Young Money lifestyle are gone, might as well be raw as fuck.

— Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 4 Nov. 2026
In the meantime, Woods has been working as chief creative officer of Gloss Lab, a lifestyle brand still in the early stages of development that specializes in balms and creams.

— Arushi Jacob, Footwear News, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of lifestyle

Noun

Nap in those lovely cabanas by the lake, or take day-long tours focused on culture and history.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Nov. 2026
On the other hand, many of these albums are timeless and continue to resonate, and today’s streaming culture has embraced exhuming catalog music — something that applies not only to old singles, but to old albums.

— Eric Renner Brown, Billboard, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of culture

Noun

And there’s also the theory that letting people engage in abusive and cruel behavior with an interactive program that can’t shut itself down is bad for society in general, Campbell said.

— Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 1 Nov. 2026
On the other hand, proponents might argue that reliably identifying individuals at risk of committing serious crimes could benefit society.

— Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 1 Nov. 2026

Definition of society

Noun

Those accomplishments do not disappear simply because our professional paths are diverging.

— Allen Buchanan, Oc Register, 7 Nov. 2026
Passing this bill would also be a great legacy accomplishment for Speaker Johnson, Chairman Arrington, lead Republican co-sponsor Huizenga, and others.

— Steve H. Hanke, Fortune, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of accomplishment

Noun

Moon’s priorities for another term included expanding students’ access to mental health services, improving teacher recruitment and retention, and increasing career technical education opportunities.

— Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026
Cothiere will join a school board navigating a time of transition in education.

— Austin Horn, Miami Herald, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of education

Noun

There is not enough arable land in China to both expand soybean cultivation and sustain self-reliance in staple grains.

— JOEL WUTHNOW, Foreign Affairs, 2 Nov. 2026
Mission Garden hosts public events and classes and grows heritage crops on an O’odham site that has been under cultivation for 4,000 years.

— Tovar Cerulli, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of cultivation

Noun

Founded in SoHo, Lafayette 148 has built its identity around refinement that evolves with the times.

— Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 30 Oct. 2026
Despite our best efforts, there will undoubtedly be further clarifications and refinements that need to be made particularly within sub-teams that will need to be more specifically re-aligned to this new structure.

— Max Goldbart, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of refinement

Browse Nearby Words

civility

civilization

civilizations

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Style

“Civilization.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/civilization. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of civilization

noun

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