uncivilized
uncivilized Lexical Profile
uncivilized Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Ill-mannered, impolite, coarse, or socially unacceptable in behavior.
"Scheduling a mandatory staff meeting at five o'clock in the morning felt downright uncivilized."
Lacking social, cultural, or moral refinement; considered primitive, barbarous, or not socially advanced.
"Early colonial writers frequently used biased language to portray indigenous societies as uncivilized."
Word Nuance & Usage
When applied to societies or indigenous peoples, "uncivilized" carries offensive, Eurocentric connotations and is avoided in modern anthropology; in everyday speech, it is commonly used hyperbolically to criticize bad manners or inconvenient hours.
• Rhymes for uncivilized
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in the early 17th century from the negative prefix "un-" and "civilized," which ultimately derives from the Latin "civilis" (relating to a citizen), from "civis" (citizen).