uncivilized

adjective

ˌən-ˈsi-və-ˌlīzd How to pronounce uncivilized (audio)
Definition of uncivilizednext
as in barbarian
not civilized unfairly branded as uncivilized by European explorers, they had created a culture that was actually quite advanced

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 uncivilized Under the Omanis, Zanzibar grew rich selling spices, ivory, and slaves, mostly non-Muslims from the interior, whom the island’s élites derided as washenzi, or uncivilized. — Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2022 Forcing a woman to choose between jail and carrying her rapist's baby is uncivilized and medieval. — CNN, 27 June 2022 There is no doubt uncivilized — and sometimes violent — acts have taken place in school bathrooms. — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 26 June 2022 Sure, the song (apparently written about writer Quentin Crisp) is just about the alienating sense of being an outsider, of having people judge you for your accent or aspiring to civility in an uncivilized land. — Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Apr. 2022 See All Example Sentences for uncivilized
Recent Examples of Synonyms for uncivilized
  1. barbarian
  2. rude
  3. savage
  4. wild
  5. primitive
  6. barbarous
  7. barbaric
Adjective
  • Language would have been a part of the divide between Roman and barbarian.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 June 2026
  • For the design of the barbarian figure, Sweet reached out to Mark Taylor, an artist and designer at Mattel.
    — Sanat Pai RaikarAll, Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 May 2026
Definition of barbarian
Adjective
  • It’s considered rude to answer one’s phone on public transport or in a restaurant, for example.
    — Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 4 July 2026
  • When healths were raised during the eighteenth century, it was considered rude or antisocial not to go along with them.
    — Brooke Barbier, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026
Definition of rude
Adjective
  • The Yellow Death has disfigured the population, and soldiers in white-and-red tunics serve the savage Duke of Tviot.
    — Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026
  • Josefowicz, in her decathlon of a performance, brought Ligeti’s savage discontinuities to the surface.
    — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
Definition of savage
Adjective
  • The Royals beat the Mets 16-12 on Tuesday night in New York in their wildest game of the year.
    — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 8 July 2026
  • And the sequence started a wild end to the Dodgers’ first extra-innings game of the season.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
Definition of wild
Adjective
  • Then, their caregiver responds by handing the package to the child to feel, saying the name of the food out loud, or another response that serves as a kind of primitive conversation.
    — Miranda Rake, Parents, 9 July 2026
  • The type of camping (primitive versus RV-permitted), facilities, seasonal openings, and the number of sites available vary by campground.
    — Zoe Baillargeon, Travel + Leisure, 5 July 2026
Definition of primitive
Adjective
  • The chaos in Ithaca may be political and ethical—a violation of custom—but stretches of the poem are barbarous and wild, beyond civilized life altogether.
    — David Denby, New Yorker, 21 June 2026
  • Seeking to eliminate Berber forces in the barren mountains of northern Morocco, seven soldiers obediently follow their fanatical sergeant (Víctor Clavijo) into barbarous depths of depravity.
    — Ed Meza, Variety, 16 May 2026
Definition of barbarous
Adjective
  • The entire barbaric Ukraine adventure will look like a catastrophe.
    — Melik Kaylan, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
  • In the film, which was based on a Pulitzer Prize nominated memoir, Betty escapes the clutches of her barbaric Iranian husband (played by Alfred Molina) and courageously smuggles herself and her daughter out of Iran.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 29 June 2026
Definition of barbaric

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uncivil
uncivilized
uncivilly
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Cite this Entry

“Uncivilized.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/uncivilized. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

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