as in cultured
having or showing a taste for the fine arts and gracious living
a civilized older couple who are celebrated for holding dinner parties that are attended by the city's best and brightest
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of civilized
Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Across the board, Mercedes leans on mild hybrid tech to smooth out torque delivery and keep the ride feeling civilized.
—New Atlas, 27 Dec. 2025
Rather than a barrier between north and south, Arab and African, civilized and uncivilized, the Sahara emerges as a varied landscape deeply enmeshed in trading, religious, and other networks that stretch beyond its vast expanse.
—Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
Biking in Copenhagen is civilized—collective pressure ensures hand signals and other forms of etiquette are strictly adhered to.
—Tamara Shopsin, Travel + Leisure, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for civilized
Adjective
Here was a foolish and incompetent tribune of the nation’s racist vulgarians, opposed by the prosperous and the well educated, the civilized and the tolerant.
—Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Across the board, Mercedes leans on mild hybrid tech to smooth out torque delivery and keep the ride feeling civilized.
—New Atlas, 27 Dec. 2025
Rather than a barrier between north and south, Arab and African, civilized and uncivilized, the Sahara emerges as a varied landscape deeply enmeshed in trading, religious, and other networks that stretch beyond its vast expanse.
—Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
Biking in Copenhagen is civilized—collective pressure ensures hand signals and other forms of etiquette are strictly adhered to.
—Tamara Shopsin, Travel + Leisure, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for civilized
Recent Examples of Synonyms for civilized
Adjective
-
Early in the evening, brand chief executive officer Kentaro Nishimura greeted Uma Thurman, who was wearing a Mikimoto pendant tassel necklace with 427 Akoya cultured pearls and a 12-carat tanzanite.—
Kristen Tauer,
Footwear News,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Skyr Skyr is an Icelandic cultured dairy product made from skim milk and thermophilic lactic acid bacteria cultures.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Coffee was cultivated and traded across the Islamic world, flourishing in places like Cairo, Tunis and Istanbul.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA Today,
14 Feb. 2026
-
The individual virtues are cultivated over time through repetition.—
Tucker J. Gregor,
The Conversation,
12 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Designed to fall just above the ankle, the wide-leg pair looks great with dainty flats and polished loafers.—
Cheryl Wagemann,
InStyle,
15 Feb. 2026
-
But what looks convincing in a quick DIY video can feel far less polished in real life—especially in bright, everyday spaces where imperfections are hard to hide.—
Angelika Pokovba,
Martha Stewart,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Mars Salazar is an accomplished music journalist based in Austin, Texas.—
Mars Salazar,
Austin American Statesman,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Newsom is by any account an accomplished politician, as the two-term governor of the nation’s largest state and a global economic powerhouse, Davis said.—
Andrew Graham,
Sacbee.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Civilized.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/civilized. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
