as in cultured
having or showing a taste for the fine arts and gracious living
a civilized older couple who are celebrated for holding dinner parties that are attended by the city's best and brightest
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 civilized
Melissa Derosa, New York Daily News, 11 Feb. 2026
And that was the one that ended up being a really civilized breakup.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 11 Feb. 2026
Some more civilized tenants, the sweet but stuffy textile heir Edgar Linton (Shazad Latif) and his sister, Isabella (Alison Oliver), move into the estate next door.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
In an era when roads were still rough and driving was still novel, electric automobiles seemed civilized.
—Bill Gourgey, Popular Science, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for civilized
Adjective
Combine those ingredients and the result is images that horrify a nation grown tragically indifferent to things that should stop a civilized society in its tracks.
—Melissa Derosa, New York Daily News, 11 Feb. 2026
And that was the one that ended up being a really civilized breakup.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 11 Feb. 2026
Some more civilized tenants, the sweet but stuffy textile heir Edgar Linton (Shazad Latif) and his sister, Isabella (Alison Oliver), move into the estate next door.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
In an era when roads were still rough and driving was still novel, electric automobiles seemed civilized.
—Bill Gourgey, Popular Science, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for civilized
Recent Examples of Synonyms for civilized
Adjective
-
The executive pastry chef and partner at Birdee in Brooklyn, New York, uses slow-cultured buttermilk from local dairy Ronnybrook to make the bakery’s chocolate and red velvet cakes, as well as a buttermilk panna cotta.—
Emily Saladino,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Kennedy’s own reputation as an arts patron rang a little hollow; most of the work was done by his impeccably cultured wife, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
They were traced to the purchase of 11 real estate properties, 14 plots of land cultivated as vineyards and olive groves, along with artworks and financial assets in Florence and the neighboring Tuscan countryside.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Mar. 2026
-
In Seoul, Kim sits down with leading figures from the K-pop world to investigate how the industry cultivated an extraordinarily devoted international following.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Service here is attentive and polished, but not pushy, and servers are happy to walk you through the cocktail menu and provide suggestions.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Mar. 2026
-
At 249 pounds, this one, hewn from polished Verde marble, isn’t going anywhere.—
Kathryn O’Shea-Evans,
Robb Report,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
And as an accomplished narrative filmmaker and documentarian, Loznitsa unveils deft homages to Jacques Tati and Roy Andersson, deadpan directors who reduce human behavior to its base movements.—
Tim Grierson,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Warden Bob Markle was an accomplished sport fisherman, in demand as a guide for visiting dignitaries, and likely to be found fishing or hunting on off-duty time.—
Dave Duffey,
Outdoor Life,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Civilized.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/civilized. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
