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
Black religions, like Vodou and Santería, became key targets in this civilizing mission, demonized as pagan, savage, and dangerous.
—
Aisha M. Beliso-De Jesús / Made By History, TIME, 4 Oct. 2024
Parking is torturous enough through the Melrose corridor on the weekdays, plus giving a restaurant staff off on Saturday and Sunday seems boldly civilized.
—Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2024
The violence that the banana goliath’s civilizing mission unleashes upon the Colombian landscape and its people is not a bug.
—Eduardo Porter, Washington Post, 1 July 2024
The United Kingdom’s nineteenth-century civilizing mission, although rarely mentioned in Stern’s work, was an article of faith at home and in the empire.
—Caroline Elkins, Foreign Affairs, 22 Aug. 2023
See all Example Sentences for civilize 
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Aisha M. Beliso-De Jesús / Made By History, TIME, 4 Oct. 2024
Parking is torturous enough through the Melrose corridor on the weekdays, plus giving a restaurant staff off on Saturday and Sunday seems boldly civilized.
—Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2024
The violence that the banana goliath’s civilizing mission unleashes upon the Colombian landscape and its people is not a bug.
—Eduardo Porter, Washington Post, 1 July 2024
The United Kingdom’s nineteenth-century civilizing mission, although rarely mentioned in Stern’s work, was an article of faith at home and in the empire.
—Caroline Elkins, Foreign Affairs, 22 Aug. 2023
See all Example Sentences for civilize
Dictionary Entries Near civilize
Cite this Entry
“Civilize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/civilize. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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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