British spelling: to teach someone or a group to behave in a refined, socially acceptable way, or to bring advanced culture and institutions to a place.
From civil + -ise (British spelling of -ize). Civil derives from Latin civilis meaning 'befitting a citizen.' The verb form emerged in the 17th century.
The verb 'civilise' has one of the most fraught histories in English—it was used to justify colonialism, slavery, and cultural destruction, and modern historians and anthropologists actively reject the racist premise that some peoples were 'uncivilised' and needed civilising.
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