civilize
verb
civ·i·lize ˈsi-və-ˌlīz 
civilized; civilizing
1
: to cause to develop out of a primitive state
especially : to bring to a technically advanced and rationally ordered stage of cultural development
2
: to acquire the customs and amenities of a civil community
civilizer noun
Examples of civilize in a Sentence
Her parents hoped that boarding school might civilize her some. a teacher who had a civilizing influence on the students He is credited with civilizing the treatment of people with mental illnesses. efforts to civilize the health-care system They believed it was their duty to civilize the native people.
Recent Examples on the Web
Over time, these ideas became part of a broader moral justification for European imperial expansion, framing colonial rule as a civilizing mission. —
Anna Piela, The Conversation, 13 Apr. 2026 For Portugal, education was an important part of its civilizing mission. —Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026 Trump still hasn’t learned to shut up and try to be civilized. —George Skelton, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026 This kind of boosterism—no less evident in Bernard Lewis’s highbrow argument in The New Yorker that Muslims fear modernity than in Niall Ferguson’s entreaties for the Bush Administration to resume the British Empire’s task of civilizing the natives—always seemed bafflingly sterile to me. —Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for civilize
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.
Anna Piela, The Conversation, 13 Apr. 2026 For Portugal, education was an important part of its civilizing mission. —Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026 Trump still hasn’t learned to shut up and try to be civilized. —George Skelton, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026 This kind of boosterism—no less evident in Bernard Lewis’s highbrow argument in The New Yorker that Muslims fear modernity than in Niall Ferguson’s entreaties for the Bush Administration to resume the British Empire’s task of civilizing the natives—always seemed bafflingly sterile to me. —Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for civilize
Cite this Entry
“Civilize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/dictionary/civilize. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
civilize
verb
civ·i·lize ˈsiv-ə-ˌlīz
civilized; civilizing
: to cause to develop out of a primitive state
especially : to bring to an advanced stage (as in art, science, and government) of social development
civilized adjective
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