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
  • Don’t expect Miss Manners ever to issue an OK-to-be-rude pass.
    — Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Rosie Campbell, Managing Director of Eleos AI Research, a nonprofit dedicated to understanding and addressing the potential well-being of AI, said that some other studies have even shown that rude questions can actually improve results.
    — Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of rude
Adjective
  • Reducing Gulliver’s Travels to only a topsy-turvy tale of humans both tiny and massive is to ignore the savage intellect that penned its words.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2026
  • In ancient, supposedly more savage times, public killings were common.
    — Dr. Michael Good, Hartford Courant, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of savage
Adjective
  • The Colts have been engaged in trade discussions with players like Jonathan Taylor and Josh Downs after dealing Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner to kick off what many expect to be a wild trade deadline period.
    — Scott Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Representations of fauna include horses, deer, wild oxen, and at least one bear, though identification is difficult due to the limited depiction of details such as eyes, nostrils, hooves, manes, and coats.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of wild
Adjective
  • For more experienced hikers seeking extremes, the Backcountry Trail is a rugged seven-mile trek with steep grades passing primitive campsites, perfect for spending the night underneath the stars.
    — Judith Garrison, AJC.com, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The designers were also working with hardware that looks primitive by today’s standards.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 5 Nov. 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
  • Stephen Miller is the architect of the most barbaric, inhumane policies of this administration.
    — Emily Feng, NPR, 6 Nov. 2026
  • What readers are saying The comments reflect a strong opposition to the death penalty, criticizing it as barbaric and ineffective in deterring crime.
    — Katie Mettler, Washington Post, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of barbaric

Browse Nearby Words

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 10 Nov. 2026.

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