civilize

C3I1V4I1L1I1Z10E1

verb

American and Oxford British standard spelling of civilise.

Similar
educateschooltraincultivatecivilise
OriginFrench civiliser →
UncommonScrabble 22
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Meanings

verbcivilize (third-person singular simple present civilizes, present participle civilizing, simple past and past participle civilized)

present singular third person civilizes · participle present civilizing · participle past civilized · past civilized · alternative civilise

  1. American and Oxford British standard spelling of civilise.

Synonyms & antonyms

verbteach or refine to be discriminative in taste or judgment

Similar
educateschooltraincultivatecivilise
Broader
polishrefinefine-tune

verbraise from a barbaric to a civilized state

Similar
civilise
Broader
changealtermodify
Also see
civilisecultivateeducateschooltrain

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Frenchciviliser
  2. Englishcivilize

Borrowed from French civiliser, corresponding to civil + -ize.

More words from French

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

civilize. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/civilize

MLA

“civilize.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/civilize. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “civilize,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/civilize.

Source: civilize on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.