civilisation

CEFRC1

/ˌsɪv.ɪ.laɪˈzeɪ.ʃən/

noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

01
noun
A society with its own organized culture, government, and way of life.
02
noun
Extra detail
UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Hong Kong, and Commonwealth spelling of civilization.

Examples

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Also pronounced

Deep Dive

In context

It is also there in Miller’s worldview, which has long promoted racist fears of demographic replacement of white people and civilisation decline.
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.

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Question 1 · Quick check

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The word in print, with each source given in full.

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
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 2026

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Borrowed from French civilisation, equivalent to civilise + -ation or civil + -isation.