- present participle of civilize.
civilizing
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Heaney was born with a subject he often resisted, and “Digging” turns away from violence to the civilizing necessity of work.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 21, 2025
Smith seems to want to say something about the civilizing influence of women and their survival in a world of unruly and domineering men.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 9, 2025
Colonialism, once equated by the West with civilizing progress, became synonymous with iniquity.
From New York Times ● Dec. 10, 2023
He cited Philippine national hero Jose Rizal’s description of justice “as the foremost virtue of the civilizing races. It subdues the barbarous nations while injustice arouses the weakest.”
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 2, 2023
But then, it seemed as if the Indians had been helpful to the settlers as well, so I didn’t see why they needed civilizing.
From "It All Comes Down to This" by Karen English
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