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
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 uncivilized
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
Roxane Gay: For all our cultural obsession with civility, there is nothing more uncivilized than the political establishment’s acceptance of the constancy of mass shootings.
—New York Times, 26 May 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
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
Roxane Gay: For all our cultural obsession with civility, there is nothing more uncivilized than the political establishment’s acceptance of the constancy of mass shootings.
—New York Times, 26 May 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
Adjective
-
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
-
When the Western Roman Empire fell in the fifth century C.E., Europe was plunged into chaos as barbarian Germanic forces advanced south—or so the story goes.—
Emma Gometz,
Scientific American,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
There is a profound difference between rude political commentary and language that normalizes violence against other human beings.—
Naperville Sun,
Chicago Tribune,
5 June 2026
-
In other words, leaving early isn't inherently rude.—
Jamie Cuccinelli,
Martha Stewart,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
What begins as a desperate family bonding trip rapidly devolves into savage violence and brutal psychological warfare.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
3 June 2026
-
Their twiggy legs and bony frames exposed in bathing suits, the kids do indeed look extra vulnerable within the film’s savage landscape.—
Beatrice Loayza,
Variety,
25 May 2026
Adjective
-
Several of the incidents took place in the mountains, with some people injured while out foraging for wild plants and vegetables.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
-
The 27-year-old tailback was the Broncos’ offensive MVP over the first 10 weeks of a wild, wacky 2025.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
Through the use of backlighting, their silhouettes will be thrown onto the facing walls to form a shadow sculpture evoking primitive graffiti or a hieroglyphic-like language.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
9 June 2026
-
However, several primitive campsites, boat ramps, and fishing piers sprinkled across the area give plenty of access to enjoy the lake at your leisure.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
Lies told by people who are simply too afraid to look at such an ugly, barbarous reality.—
Clare Malone,
New Yorker,
19 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The vitality of her language, its frolicsome dance with personification, communicates its own resistance in the face of an indifferent world, exploited by imperialist greed and barbaric, militant might.—
Rachel Vorona Cote,
Vulture,
2 June 2026
-
But while some viewers were eager for the hyper-violent spectacle of the UFC, other people and institutions regarded its lack of weight classes and rules as barbaric and bloodthirsty.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Uncivilized.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/uncivilized. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
