# uncivilized

/ənˈsɪvəɫaɪzd/ (US) · CEFR C1 · Adjective

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/uncivilized
Updated: 2026-10-18

## Definition

not polite or well behaved by modern social rules. You use it for rude behaviour, or for a place that lacks modern towns, schools, and technology.

For teachers: lacking the social organization, technological development, or refined manners associated with modern societies. Often applied both to societies perceived as primitive and to individual behaviour considered crude or discourteous.

## Examples

- Their table manners are uncivilized at dinner.
- He calls the remote village uncivilized because it has no paved roads.
- The essay argues that calling past cultures uncivilized says more about modern bias than about how those people actually lived.

## Synonyms

barbaric, Savage, primitive, rude, crude, impolite, wild

## Antonyms

civilized, polite, refined, modern

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.