1[countableC, uncountableU]SOCIETY a society that is well organized and developed, used especially about a particular society in a particular place or at a particular time 文明(社会) → civilized
modern American civilization
现代美国文明
civilization of
the ancient civilizations of Greece and Rome
希腊和罗马的古代文明
2[uncountableU]SOCIETY all the societies in the world considered as a whole 文明世界
The book explores the relationship between religion and civilization.
本书探讨了宗教和文明的关系。
the dawn of civilization (=the beginning of civilization)
文明的起源
3[uncountableU]COMFORTABLE a place such as a city where you feel comfortable, especially because it is modern 现代生活环境,文明的环境〔如城市等地〕 → civilized
After a week in the mountains, all I wanted to do was get back to civilization.
在山里待了一个星期,我唯一想做的就是回到文明社会中。
nCOLLOCATIONS
adjectives
American/European/Chinese etc civilization
the history of Chinese civilization
western civilization (=from Europe or the Americas)
Many people are rejecting the values of western civilization.
ancient civilization (=a very old one)
The achievements of Egypt's ancient civilization were remarkable.
modern civilization
Technology is one of the benefits of modern civilization.
a great civilization (=very important and interesting)
the great civilizations of India and China
human civilization
the development of human civilization
industrial civilization
Industrial civilization is barely a century old.
an advanced civilization
Philosophy is a luxury of an advanced civilization.
higher civilizations (=more advanced ones)
There could be higher civilizations on other planets.
a primitive civilization (=one that is not at all advanced)
His main interest was primitive civilizations.
early civilizations (=existing before others, or at the beginning of a period of time)
the early civilizations of Mesopotamia and the East Mediterranean
Examples from the Corpus
civilization• When the time came for civilization on the planet of the Perks, they built war-trains, underminingengines, molebombs.• He just came in and destroyed this really high civilization and then left.• Once humans had inventedcivilization, they never lost it.• Our century has seen greater climate changes than any period since the dawn of civilization.• There was nothing down there on the earth-no towns, no light, no signs of civilization at all.• Called to attend at 10.15 in the morning, we started in the time-honoured way of civilization with a coffee break.• To see them clearly one has to withdraw, mentally at least, from the civilization of which one is a part.• But there is a sense in which religion is no less essential to civilization than literature and the finearts.• Much of the hostility towards civilization felt by people in the suppressed classes is understandable.