Briefly stated, Hobsbawm's thesis is that the history of the twentieth century is that of the decline of civilization.
Source: tatoeba (20963)
Civilization
/ˌsɪv.ɪ.laɪˈzeɪ.ʃən/
Synonyms for "civilization" (64 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (13)
Noun(4 words)
Adjective(2 words)
ancient societycivilized society
Verb(3 words)
civilize a nationcivilize peoplecivilize society
Strong matches (19)
Noun(4 words)
cultural achievementculture relatedculture related adjectivecultures share traditions
cultural driftcultureculture areaculture centerculture complexculture conflictculture contactculture patternculture traitcustomsedificationeducationenculturationenlightenmentethos
Related words (32)
Adjective(4 words)
european civilizationmature societymesopotamian culturespanish civilización
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: culture, acculturation, ancient society, civil order, civil progress.
- Sentence evidence is available for civilization, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "civilization".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "civilization"
Keep "civilization" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "civilization" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "civilization", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "civilization" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
9 entriescultural systemexcellencehistorical processhuman developmenthuman organizationhumanitysocial processsocial systemsociety
More specific
8 entriesEgyptian civilizationIndus civilizationMayan civilizationMesopotamian civilizationirrigation systemlaw codeurban planningwriting system
Collocations
6 entriesadvanced civilizationancient civilizationcollapse of civilizationearly civilizationrise of civilizationriver valley civilization
Inflections
1 entriesDerivations
5 entriesSample sentences
21 total sentences available.
The opening of the country had a great influence on Japanese civilization.
Source: tatoeba (22052)
We discovered relics of an ancient civilization.
Source: tatoeba (23008)
We find ourselves in the twilight of our civilization.
Source: tatoeba (28869)
Showing 4 of 21 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "civilization"?
Closest matches include culture, acculturation, ancient society, civil order, civil progress.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "civilization"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.