Meanings
verbcivilise (third-person singular simple present civilises, present participle civilising, simple past and past participle civilised)
present singular third person civilises · participle present civilising · participle past civilised · past civilised · alternative civilize
- To introduce or impose the standards of one civilisation upon another civilization, group or person, arguably with the intent of achieving a perceived higher standard of behavior.
- To bring from a state of savagery to an educated or refined state.
Synonyms & antonyms
verbteach or refine to be discriminative in taste or judgment
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Bulgarian цивилизовам
- цивилизовам (civilizovam)to educate to a perceived higher standard of behaviour
Danish civilisere
- civilisereto educate to a perceived higher standard of behaviour
Dutch civiliseren, beschaven
- civiliserento educate to a perceived higher standard of behaviour
- beschavento educate to a perceived higher standard of behaviour
Esperanto civilizi
- civilizito educate to a perceived higher standard of behaviour
Estonian tsiviliseerima
- tsiviliseerimato educate to a perceived higher standard of behaviour
Finnish sivistää
- sivistääto educate to a perceived higher standard of behaviour
French civiliser
- civiliserto educate to a perceived higher standard of behaviour
German zivilisieren
- zivilisierento educate to a perceived higher standard of behaviour
Hungarian civilizál
- civilizálto educate to a perceived higher standard of behaviour
Italian incivilire, civilizzare
- incivilireto educate to a perceived higher standard of behaviour
- civilizzareto educate to a perceived higher standard of behaviour
Polish cywilizować, ucywilizować
- cywilizowaćto educate to a perceived higher standard of behaviour
- ucywilizowaćto educate to a perceived higher standard of behaviour
Romanian civiliza
- civilizato educate to a perceived higher standard of behaviour
Russian цивилизова́ть
- цивилизова́ть (civilizovátʹ)to educate to a perceived higher standard of behaviour
Spanish civilizar, desasnar
- civilizarto educate to a perceived higher standard of behaviour
- desasnarto educate to a perceived higher standard of behaviour
- culturizarto educate to a perceived higher standard of behaviour
Swedish civilisera
- civiliserato educate to a perceived higher standard of behaviour
Ukrainian цивілізува́ти
- цивілізува́ти (cyvilizuváty)to educate to a perceived higher standard of behaviour
Vietnamese giáo hóa, khai hóa
- giáo hóato educate to a perceived higher standard of behaviour
- khai hóato educate to a perceived higher standard of behaviour
- truyền bá văn minhto educate to a perceived higher standard of behaviour
Cite this entry
APA
civilise. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/civilise
MLA
“civilise.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/civilise. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “civilise,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/civilise.
Source: civilise on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.