as in barbarian
not civilized
unfairly branded as uncivilized by European explorers, they had created a culture that was actually quite advanced
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Recent Examples of uncivilized
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
Whereas Saidian Orientalism understood the Eastern Other as fundamentally backward and uncivilized, however, techno-Orientalism presents an upgraded vision of the Asian as threateningly futuristic and advanced.
—Jane Hu, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2022
The Qing emperors themselves were not Han either, but Manchu, a people from the other side of the Great Wall who had traditionally been regarded as uncivilized nomads.
—Ian Buruma, Harper’s Magazine , 18 Jan. 2022
There is only one religion in uncivilized society, and that is Kendall Roy.
—Natalie Lin, Vulture, 3 Dec. 2021
See All Example Sentences for uncivilized
Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Apr. 2022
Whereas Saidian Orientalism understood the Eastern Other as fundamentally backward and uncivilized, however, techno-Orientalism presents an upgraded vision of the Asian as threateningly futuristic and advanced.
—Jane Hu, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2022
The Qing emperors themselves were not Han either, but Manchu, a people from the other side of the Great Wall who had traditionally been regarded as uncivilized nomads.
—Ian Buruma, Harper’s Magazine , 18 Jan. 2022
There is only one religion in uncivilized society, and that is Kendall Roy.
—Natalie Lin, Vulture, 3 Dec. 2021
See All Example Sentences for uncivilized
Recent Examples of Synonyms for uncivilized
Adjective
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Built on the site of an ancient Roman fortress that protected the empire from barbarian invasion, the castle was constructed between the 11th and 14th centuries.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
10 June 2025
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In contrast, East Asia witnessed a 300-year period of peace between the 1590s and 1894, broken only by defensive engagements against barbarian incursions and five fairly small two-state wars.—
Michael Mann,
Foreign Affairs,
13 Feb. 2012
Adjective
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And even if that feels rude by the standards of today, people were forced to answer her questions and answer to the things that the public wanted to know.—
Alex Jhamb Burns,
Vogue,
23 June 2025
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There are so many things that can be off or what if just the woman walks in and just is not attracted to the guy or the man is rude to the waiter.—
Steve Baltin,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2025
Adjective
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The 2023 grand marshal is former Arizona Democratic congresswoman Gabby Giffords, gravely wounded in a savage mass shooting in 2011 that also killed six people.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Dec. 2022
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As savage Arctic cold was getting ready to surge south across North America, vivid imagery based on data from weather models showed us what was going to happen.—
Tom Yulsman,
Discover Magazine,
27 Dec. 2022
Adjective
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Alana even obliged to share the story of her wildest worst date — a saga that manages to incorporate those key themes of maintaining a strong sense of humor, and knowing when to cut and run.—
Angie Martoccio,
Rolling Stone,
26 June 2025
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The final product is an unpredictable, wild ride full of suspense, fun, and classic horror gore.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
26 June 2025
Adjective
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Houde said these mammoth animals are a primitive group of proboscideans ('elephantoids') from which modern elephants evolved.—
Joseph J. Kolb,
Fox News,
18 July 2017
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Many are primitive and remote, and don’t have restrooms or water.—
OregonLive.com,
OregonLive.com,
12 July 2017
Adjective
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In the northwest suburbs of Minneapolis, a man dressed as a cop shot two Democratic lawmakers and their spouses, killing the DFL speaker of the House and her husband in a barbarous (and politically motivated) atrocity.—
Jeffrey Blehar,
National Review,
14 June 2025
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Wednesday night’s barbarous shooting of two Israeli Embassy employees — gunned down, shot in the back allegedly by a pro-Palestinian activist while leaving a peace event at the Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. — is more than a mere workaday atrocity.—
Jeffrey Blehar,
National Review,
23 May 2025
Adjective
-
Here instead were a new brand of barbaric creatures that could take chase at a terrifyingly relentless clip.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
16 June 2025
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Many of the American soldiers who liberated the concentration camps were stunned that an advanced country like Germany could turn so barbaric.—
John Blake,
CNN Money,
26 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Uncivilized.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/uncivilized. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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