civilization
Pluralcivilizations
UK spellingcivilisation
- 1An organized way of life shared by many people, with cities, rules, writing, and trade.
Like a giant team where millions of people share rules, jobs, and ways of living.
Farming allowed civilization to grow along big rivers thousands of years ago.
Writing, laws, and cities are all signs of civilization.
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- 2People living together in an organized society, with its rules, comforts, and services.
After two weeks camping in the mountains, they were glad to get back to civilization.
Hot showers and grocery stores are some of the comforts of civilization.
Similarsociety
Oppositewilderness, barbarism
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- 3A polite, orderly, and developed way of living and behaving.
His good manners brought a little civilization to the noisy party.
Clean streets and kind neighbors show a town's civilization.
Similarrefinement, sophistication, civility, cultivation, culture
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- 4The process by which people come to live in a more organized and settled way.
The king hoped that new schools would speed the civilization of the border lands.
Trade and travel played a big part in the civilization of the early settlements.
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Less common meaning
- 5The act of turning a criminal court case into a private case between people.
The lawyer asked the judge for the civilization of the case so it could end with a payment instead of prison.
After the civilization of the charge, the two families settled the matter with money.
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Practice
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Origin
It comes from French "civilisation". In English it is like "civilize" plus "-ation".