Adjacent Words

Civilize definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

CIVILIZE, v.t. To reclaim from a savage state; to introduce civility of manners among a people, and instruct them in the arts of regular life.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: teach or refine to be discriminative in taste or judgment; "Cultivate your musical taste"; "Train your tastebuds"; "She is well schooled in poetry" [syn: educate, school, train, cultivate, civilize, civilise]
2: raise from a barbaric to a civilized state; "The wild child found wandering in the forest was gradually civilized" [syn: civilize, civilise]

Merriam Webster's

verb (-lized; -lizing) Date: 1601 transitive verb 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. a. educate, refine b. socialize 1 intransitive verb to acquire the customs and amenities of a civil community • civilizer noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v.tr. (also -ise) 1 bring out of a barbarous or primitive stage of society. 2 enlighten; refine and educate. Derivatives: civilizable adj. civilizer n. Etymology: F civiliser (as CIVIL)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Civilize Civ"i*lize, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Civilized; p. pr. & vb. n. Civilizing.] [Cf. F. civilizer, fr.L. civilis civil. See Civil.] 1. To reclaim from a savage state; to instruct in the rules and customs of civilization; to educate; to refine. Yet blest that fate which did his arms dispose Her land to civilize, as to subdue. --Dryden 2. To admit as suitable to a civilized state. [Obs. or R.] ``Civilizing adultery.'' --Milton. Syn: To polish; refine; humanize.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(civilizes, civilizing, civilized) Note: in BRIT, also use 'civilise' To civilize a person or society means to educate them and improve their way of life. ...a comedy about a man who tries to civilise a woman–but she ends up civilising him... It exerts a civilizing influence on mankind. VERB: V n, V-ing

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. a. Refine, cultivate, educate, polish, enlighten, improve, humanize, reclaim from barbarism.

Moby Thesaurus

acculturate, advance, ameliorate, amend, anthropomorphize, better, boost, bring forward, broaden, broaden the mind, catechize, demonstrate, direct, domesticate, edify, educate, elevate, emend, enhance, enlighten, enrich, fatten, favor, forward, foster, give instruction, give lessons in, go straight, ground, guide, humanize, illumine, improve, improve upon, inform, instruct, lard, lift, make an improvement, make human, meliorate, mend, nurture, open the eyes, polish, promote, raise, reeducate, refine, refine upon, reform, school, set right, sharpen the wits, show, show how, socialize, straighten out, tame, teach, teach a lesson, teach the rudiments, transfigure, transform, upgrade, uplift