an advanced state of human society, in which a high level of culture, science, industry, and government has been reached.
those people or nations that have reached such a state.
any type of culture, society, etc., of a specific place, time, or group: Greek civilization.
the act or process of civilizing, as by bringing out of a savage, uneducated, or unrefined state, or of being civilized: Rome's civilization of barbaric tribes was admirable.
cultural refinement; refinement of thought and cultural appreciation: The letters of Madame de Sévigné reveal her wit and civilization.
cities or populated areas in general, as opposed to unpopulated or wilderness areas: The plane crashed in the jungle, hundreds of miles from civilization.
modern comforts and conveniences, as made possible by science and technology: After a week in the woods, without television or even running water, the campers looked forward to civilization again.
Origin of civilization
First recorded in 1765–75; from French civilisation; see civilize, -ation
historical usage of civilization
Civilization entered the English language in the mid-18th century with the meaning “the act or process of bringing out of a savage or uneducated state.” In this preimperialistic age of exploration, it was popular to view people from less-developed lands as barbaric and in great need of cultural edification. As political scientist and historian Anthony Pagden wrote in a 1988 paper, 18th-century social theory held that a civilization was “the optimum condition for all mankind.” He continued that “only the civilized can know what it is to be civilized,” pointing out the implicit elitism of this concept. As imperialism boomed in the 19th century, this meaning of civilization gained popularity, but today it is considered narrow-minded, except when used in a historical context. Once a nation, culture, or group of people has been brought out of the “savage” darkness into an enlightened and advanced state, it becomes a civilization. This sense arose about the same time, but without the imperialistic undertones attached to the original meaning of the word. When used with a modifier, it refers to the civilization of a specific region ( European civilization, French civilization ), people ( Mayan civilization ), or period of time ( modern civilization ). In the early 19th century, speakers of English started using civilization to mean cities or populated areas in general—that is, places where civilizations are located. This word is applied as well to the comforts and conveniences associated with populated areas, so that today we might use civilization to describe what we have left behind if we go camping in the wilderness and have no cellphone coverage.
"We have allowed our civilization to outrun our culture; we have allowed our technology to outdistance our theology and for this reason we find ourselves caught up with many problems. "
-Martin Luther King Sermon at Temple Israel of Hollywood American Rhetoric (delivered February 26, 1965)
If so, far more movies have been made on Earth about alien civilizations than there actually are alien civilizations.
Self-destructive civilizations may doom our search for alien intelligence|Tom Siegfried|July 6, 2020|Science News
For some reason, civilization is not a self-perpetuating state of affairs on this planet.
Self-destructive civilizations may doom our search for alien intelligence|Tom Siegfried|July 6, 2020|Science News
At the core of their argument is the fact that since the first large human settlements appeared 10,000 years ago, civilization has been built on the back of our ability to extract resources from nature, be they food, energy, or materials.
New Report Predicts Tech Could Fuel an Age of Freedom—or Make Civilization Collapse|Edd Gent|June 29, 2020|Singularity Hub
In the Drake equation, about half the unknowns are about extraterrestrial civilizations.
This Week’s Awesome Tech Stories From Around the Web (Through June 20)|Singularity Hub Staff|June 20, 2020|Singularity Hub
This contained a term for how long such civilizations might exist before destroying themselves.
Evolution: Why It Seems to Have a Direction and What to Expect Next|Matthew Wills|June 10, 2020|Singularity Hub
John Paul II told the European Union at the time that it was “a beacon of civilization.”
Pope’s Blistering Attack on ‘Haggard’ Europe|Nico Hines|November 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Instead, it would return European civilization back to a period of darkness not witnessed since the Middle Ages.
How WWI Produced the Holocaust|J.P. O’Malley|November 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They pointed to a common claim: that at some point in distant history there was a civilization of giants.
Hunting for a Real-Life Hagrid|Nina Strochlic|November 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Crawford leads them in plunging back into the river whose waters fed the first civilization.
ISIS Has a Bigger Coalition Than We Do|Michael Daly|October 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Indeed, red — because of its vibrancy and richness — has served as a powerful symbol since the beginning of civilization.
Scarlet Is the New Black|Raquel Laneri|August 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The light of these days has driven the fiery dragon to take refuge among nations not yet visited by the light of civilization.
The Curiosities of Heraldry|Mark Antony Lower
The imagination hardly keeps pace with the progress of population, improvement, and civilization.
Select Speeches of Daniel Webster|Daniel Webster
The enormous crime of Spain in destroying this civilization has never yet been appreciated in Europe.
History of the Intellectual Development of Europe, Volume II (of 2)|John William Draper
The monks kept alive that sweet spirit of philanthropy which is so essential to all the higher forms of civilization.
A Short History of Monks and Monasteries|Alfred Wesley Wishart
The law of progress and civilization is not the law of the jungle.
Have faith in Massachusetts; 2d ed.|Calvin Coolidge
British Dictionary definitions for civilization
civilization
civilisation
/ (ˌsɪvɪlaɪˈzeɪʃən) /
noun
a human society that has highly developed material and spiritual resources and a complex cultural, political, and legal organization; an advanced state in social development
the peoples or nations collectively who have achieved such a state
the total culture and way of life of a particular people, nation, region, or periodclassical civilization
the process of bringing or achieving civilization
intellectual, cultural, and moral refinement
cities or populated areas, as contrasted with sparsely inhabited areas, deserts, etc