Civilizational

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Referring to the various frameworks and elements that shape human societies and their progress over time
2. Pertaining to the intricate social systems, values, and institutions that define organized communities across history
3. Relating to the complex structures and cultural practices that characterize the development and evolution of human societies throughout history

Etymology: Civilizational is the adjective built from "civilization" and the suffix "-al," which means "relating to." The noun "civilization" came into English by borrowing from French "civilisation," and the French word in turn came from the Latin "civilis," meaning "of citizens" or "of the state," which grew out of "civis," meaning "citizen." So at its root the idea is political and communal: a civilized people is one organized as a city-dwelling community of citizens, not a rough or wandering one. The Latin "civilis" passed into Old French and then into French "civiliser," meaning to bring people out of a rude condition into an ordered community. The noun "civilisation" followed the same path, and English took it and changed the spelling to "civilization" in the form used today. Because "civilizational" is a plain derivative, its sense follows its base: it describes what concerns the broad frameworks that shape whole societies over time, rather than any single people or city.

Synonyms: cultural, societal, civil, humanistic, historical

Antonyms: barbaric, primitive, uncivilized, savage, backward