1704年，具有现已废弃的意义“将刑事程序转为民事程序的法律”，由civil + -ization构成。
“文明状态，从野蛮生活中恢复的状态”的意义记录于1772年，可能来自法语civilisation，作为barbarity的对立词，与civility区分开来，仿佛由civilize + -ation构成。
“一个在文明状态下的人类社会，作为一个整体随时间演变”的意义始于1857年。相关词：Civilizational。
Civility, formerly the substantive of both civil and civilize—the latter of which it was not likely to suggest, except by help of its context,—was judiciously relieved of one of its meanings, by civilization. [Fitzedward Hall, "Modern English," 1873]
Civility，以前是civil和civilize的名词形式——后者不太可能单独暗示，除非通过其上下文的帮助——被civilization明智地解除了一种意义。[Fitzedward Hall, "Modern English," 1873]
