Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

civilization

 noun
     
civ‧i‧li‧za‧tion also civilisation British English
1 [uncountable and countable] a society that is well organized and developed, used especially about a particular society in a particular place or at a particular time [↪ civilized]:
modern American civilization
civilization of
the ancient civilizations of Greece and Rome
2 [uncountable] all the societies in the world considered as a whole:
The book explores the relationship between religion and civilization.
the dawn of civilization (=the beginning of civilization)
3 [uncountable] a place such as a city where you feel comfortable, especially because it is modern [↪ civilized]:
After a week in the mountains all I wanted to do was get back to civilization.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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