decivilize
Definition
- Verb:
- To cause to become less civilized: "decivilize" means to make a society, group, or individual lose their civilized qualities, leading to a state of barbarism or cultural decline.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- The prolonged war threatened to decivilize the once peaceful nation. (The conflict risked causing the country to revert to a less civilized state.)
- Some critics argue that certain forms of entertainment decivilize young people by promoting violence. (They claim these activities reduce civilized behaviour.)
Advanced Usage
"to decivilize oneself": to voluntarily reject civilized norms.
- He decided to decivilize himself by living in the wilderness without modern amenities. (He chose to abandon civilized life.)
"decivilizing influence": an external factor that leads to cultural regression.
- The collapse of the education system had a decivilizing influence on the region. (It caused a decline in civilized standards.)
Variants and Related Words
Decivilization (n): the process or result of becoming less civilized.
- The decivilization of the empire was accelerated by internal strife. (The loss of civilized qualities happened rapidly.)
Decivilizing (adj): tending to cause a loss of civilization.
- The decivilizing effects of the plague were evident in the breakdown of social order. (The effects made society less civilized.)
Synonyms
- Barbarize: to make or become barbarous.
- Degrade: to lower in quality or character.
- Corrupt: to cause moral deterioration.
Antonyms
- Civilize: to bring to a state of advanced culture and order.
- Enlighten: to give intellectual or moral insight.
Related Idioms
- "Return to the jungle": a metaphorical phrase for reverting to a primitive or uncivilized state.
- Without law and order, the city returned to the jungle. (It became chaotic and uncivilized.)