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civilization

n.
US //ˌsɪvəɫɪˈzeɪʃən// civ·i·liza·tion
  1. 1 a specific society (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    a large group of people with their own organized culture, laws, and way of life.

    a complex society characterized by urban development, social stratification, and shared cultural or political institutions.

    Example

    The ancient Maya civilization built incredible stone temples in the jungle.

    Example

    Archaeologists are still uncovering the sophisticated irrigation systems used by the Indus Valley civilization over four thousand years ago.
  2. 2 human society in general (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    all people living together in an organized way, especially when compared to nature or a wild state.

    the collective state of human social development and the comforts or infrastructure of modern life.

    Example

    After three weeks of camping in the woods, it was nice to return to civilization.

    Example

    The explorer expressed concern that the rapid expansion of industrial civilization was threatening the planet's most fragile ecosystems.
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  1. 3 the process of development (n.)
    C1 Advanced Academic Formal

    the act of improving how a society works or how people behave toward each other.

    the process of achieving a higher state of social, cultural, or technological development.

    Example

    The spread of education was a key part of the civilization of the region.

    Example

    Historians often debate whether the rapid civilization of nomadic tribes was driven more by trade or by military conquest.
Origin

Borrowed from French civilisation, equivalent to civilize + -ation or civil + -ization.

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