adjective
- excessively refined, formal, or bound by the conventions and rules of civilization; overly cultured or sophisticated to the point of being artificial or restrictive
Usage: often used critically or ironically; literary or formal register
Examples
- The hypercivilized society had so many rules of etiquette that people felt constrained in their daily interactions.
- He found the hypercivilized atmosphere of the formal dinner stifling and longed for casual conversation.
- The novel critiques the hypercivilized upper class for losing touch with authentic human emotion.
- Despite their hypercivilized manners, the characters in the play revealed their true, raw feelings beneath the surface.
- She rejected the hypercivilized expectations of her family in favor of a simpler lifestyle.