1. having a refining or improving influence on behavior or culture

1. present participle of civilize; bringing culture, refinement, or organized society to
Usage: present participle form

Examples

• The missionaries believed they were civilizing the remote tribes.
• Education has a civilizing effect on society.
• The civilizing influence of art and literature cannot be underestimated.
• She credited her grandmother’s civilizing presence for her good manners.
• The process of civilizing the frontier took many decades.
• Music and poetry have a civilizing power over human nature.
• The school’s civilizing mission extended beyond basic academics.