Meanings
plural civilisations
- countableuncountableUK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Hong Kong, and Commonwealth spelling of civilization.
It is also there in Miller’s worldview, which has long promoted racist fears of demographic replacement of white people and civilisation decline.
2026 January 21, David Smith, “Trump paints himself as great white hope in racism-drenched Davos speech”, in The Guardian, →ISSN, archived from the original on 27 Feb 20261 more example
From Keighley onwards we had obviously returned to civilisation, for the surrounding country was now studded with the sodium street lights of suburbia and a thickening industrial haze was blotting out the moon.
1960 January, G. Freeman Allen, “"Condor"—British Railways' fastest freight train”, in Trains Illustrated, page 48
Synonyms & antonyms
nounthe social process whereby societies achieve an advanced stage of development and organization
nouna society in an advanced state of social development (e.g., with complex legal and political and religious organizations)
nounthe quality of excellence in thought and manners and taste
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Frenchcivilisation
- Englishcivilisation
Borrowed from French civilisation, equivalent to civilise + -ation or civil + -isation.
More words from French
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with civilisation
Cite this entry
civilisation. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/civilisation
“civilisation.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/civilisation. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “civilisation,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/civilisation.
Source: civilisation on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.