- 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
Colonialism, once equated by the West with civilizing progress, became synonymous with iniquity.
From New York Times ● Dec. 10, 2023
“They believed that their society was making progress, that it was gaining greater control over nature, that they were becoming more civilized and were civilizing the environment around them,” Golinski said.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 26, 2023
Without the civilizing influence of true love, the widower returns to his roots, teaching Brooke how to track, shoot and lie.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 13, 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
