Meaning & use
civilized
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Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Belonging to a society that has advanced laws, institutions, and shared rules about how people live together.
Grammar: Usually used about societies or the world: civilized nations. The British spelling is civilised.
Most civilized countries ban the use of torture.
A civilized society takes care of its weakest members.
The charter set out basic rights that every civilized nation should respect.
adjectivecomparable
Behaving in a polite, calm, and reasonable way, especially when people disagree.
Grammar: Can describe people or actions: a civilized conversation, let's be civilized.
Patterns
- be civilized about something
Let's discuss this in a civilized way, without shouting.
The two neighbors were perfectly civilized about the fence dispute.
Even after the argument, they managed a civilized goodbye.
adjectivecomparableapproving
Pleasant, comfortable, and well mannered, in the way of a relaxed and refined lifestyle.
Grammar: Often used playfully about times, places, or habits: a civilized hour.
We left at a civilized hour instead of catching the dawn train.
A pot of tea by the fire seemed wonderfully civilized.
It is a civilized little cafe with good coffee and quiet music.
Word forms
| comparative | more civilized |
|---|---|
| superlative | most civilized |
Common combinations
- civilized society
- Respect for the law is basic to a civilized society.
- civilized behavior
- Civilized behavior at the table matters to her.
- civilized conversation
- We had a civilized conversation despite disagreeing.
- civilized manner
- Please settle this in a civilized manner.
- civilized hour
- The meeting starts at a civilized hour: ten o'clock.
- civilized world
- The court's ruling was criticized across the civilized world.
Synonyms and how they differ
- polite
- Polite focuses on good manners toward others, while civilized also covers calm, reasonable conduct and refined living.
- cultured
- Cultured emphasizes education and taste in the arts, whereas civilized stresses manners and orderly society.
- refined
- Refined suggests elegance and fine taste, while civilized is plainer and means well-behaved.
- courteous
- Courteous is more formal and describes respectful behavior, but civilized can also describe societies and times of day.
Opposites
Word family
- civilize verb
- to bring a more orderly, polite way of life to someone or something
- civilization noun
- an advanced human society with its own culture and government
- uncivilized adjective
- lacking manners or order
- civility noun
- polite behavior
- civilizing adjective
- making people behave more politely
Commonly confused: civilized or civil?
civilized vs civil
Civil means polite at a basic level or relating to ordinary citizens (civil rights). Civilized is warmer, suggesting refinement or an advanced society.
Practice
Although they disagreed strongly, the two candidates kept the debate ___ and listened to each other.
Choose one answer.
Civilized means polite and reasonable, which fits listening despite disagreement. Uncivilized, rude and hostile all describe the opposite.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “civilized”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.