civilized
adjective
civ·i·lized
ˈsi-və-ˌlīzd 
: characteristic of a state of civilization
civilized society
especially
: characterized by taste, refinement, or restraint
Examples of civilized in a Sentence
A civilized society must respond to crime with fairness and justice.
Stop yelling. We have to be more civilized about this.
Try to act like a civilized human being!
a civilized way to spend the evening
Recent Examples on the Web
And that was the one that ended up being a really civilized breakup.
—
Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 12 Feb. 2026
Combine those ingredients and the result is images that horrify a nation grown tragically indifferent to things that should stop a civilized society in its tracks.
—Melissa Derosa, New York Daily News, 11 Feb. 2026
And that was the one that ended up being a really civilized breakup.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 11 Feb. 2026
Some more civilized tenants, the sweet but stuffy textile heir Edgar Linton (Shazad Latif) and his sister, Isabella (Alison Oliver), move into the estate next door.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for civilized
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 12 Feb. 2026
Combine those ingredients and the result is images that horrify a nation grown tragically indifferent to things that should stop a civilized society in its tracks.
—Melissa Derosa, New York Daily News, 11 Feb. 2026
And that was the one that ended up being a really civilized breakup.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 11 Feb. 2026
Some more civilized tenants, the sweet but stuffy textile heir Edgar Linton (Shazad Latif) and his sister, Isabella (Alison Oliver), move into the estate next door.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for civilized
Cite this Entry
“Civilized.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/civilized. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
