Culture vs. Civilization: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Published on January 7, 2024
Culture is the collective customs, arts, social institutions, & achievements of a particular nation, people, or other social group. Civilization refers to the stage of human social & cultural development and organization that is considered most advanced.
Key Differences
Culture encompasses the beliefs, norms, and values of a group, reflecting in their language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music, and arts. Civilization, on the other hand, is a complex society characterized by urban development, social stratification, forms of government, and symbolic communication forms.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 07, 2024
Culture is about the shared characteristics that bind a group together, including rituals, traditions, and ways of thinking. Civilization involves a broader scope, including the development of complex social structures, legal systems, and technologies.
Shumaila Saeed
Jan 07, 2024
While culture can exist in small groups and doesn't necessarily imply advanced technological development, civilization usually denotes a large, complex society with a high level of cultural, technological, and political development.
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Jan 07, 2024
Culture evolves through the shared experiences and practices of a community, often passing down through generations. Civilization, however, usually refers to the larger architectural, organizational, and technological advancements of a society.
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Jan 07, 2024
Culture is more about the way people live, their language, and their customs. Civilization often refers to the physical and tangible outcomes of a society, such as cities, infrastructure, and governance systems.
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Jan 07, 2024
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Collective customs and achievements of a group.
Advanced stage of human social and cultural development.
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Jan 07, 2024
Characteristics
Beliefs, norms, arts, and social practices.
Urban development, technology, governance.
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Evolution
Through shared experiences and traditions.
Through technological and organizational advancements.
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Manifestation
In daily life and interpersonal interactions.
In physical structures, systems, and institutions.
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Jan 07, 2024
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Culture and Civilization Definitions
Culture
A set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices.
The culture of the region is evident in its vibrant music and dance traditions.
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Dec 15, 2023
Civilization
A complex human society, usually made up of different cities, with certain characteristics of cultural and technological development.
In history class, we learned about the rise and fall of various civilizations.
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Dec 15, 2023
Culture
The customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation or people.
The festival celebrated the rich culture of the indigenous community.
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Civilization
The stage of human social development and organization considered most advanced.
The ruins give insight into the civilization that once thrived here.
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Dec 15, 2023
Culture
A way of life, especially the general customs and beliefs, of a particular group at a particular time.
Youth culture today is heavily influenced by social media trends.
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Dec 15, 2023
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Civilization
The society, culture, and way of life of a particular area.
The ancient civilization of Egypt is known for its architectural marvels.
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Dec 15, 2023
Culture
The arts, beliefs, customs, institutions, and other products of human work and thought considered as a unit, especially with regard to a particular time or social group
Edwardian culture.
Japanese culture.
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Dec 13, 2023
Civilization
An advanced state of intellectual, cultural, and material development in human society, marked by progress in the arts and sciences, the extensive use of record-keeping, including writing, and the appearance of complex political and social institutions.
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Dec 13, 2023
Culture
These arts, beliefs, and other products considered with respect to a particular subject or mode of expression
Musical culture.
Oral culture.
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Dec 13, 2023
Civilization
The type of culture and society developed by a particular nation or region or in a particular epoch
Mayan civilization.
The civilization of ancient Rome.
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Dec 13, 2023
Culture
The set of predominating attitudes and behavior that characterize a group or organization
A manager who changed the corporate culture.
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Civilization
The act or process of civilizing or reaching a civilized state.
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Culture
Mental refinement and sophisticated taste resulting from the appreciation of the arts and sciences
A woman of great culture.
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Culture
Special training and development
Voice culture for singers and actors.
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Civilization
Modern society with its conveniences
Returned to civilization after camping in the mountains.
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Dec 13, 2023
Civilization
An organized culture encompassing many communities, often on the scale of a nation or a people; a stage or system of social, political, or technical development.
The Aztec civilization
Western civilization
Modern civilization is a product of industrialization and globalization.
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Dec 13, 2023
Culture
The breeding or cultivation of animals or plants for food, the improvement of stock, or other purposes.
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Dec 13, 2023
Civilization
(uncountable) Human society, particularly civil society.
A hermit doesn't much care for civilization.
I'm glad to be back in civilization after a day with that rowdy family.
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Dec 13, 2023
Culture
The growing of microorganisms, tissue cells, or other living matter in a specially prepared nutrient medium.
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Civilization
The act or process of civilizing or becoming civilized.
The teacher's civilization of the child was no easy task.
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Civilization
The state or quality of being civilized.
He was a man of great civilization.
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Culture
To grow (microorganisms or other living matter) in a specially prepared nutrient medium.
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Civilization
Collectively, those people of the world considered to have a high standard of behavior and / or a high level of development. Commonly subjectively used by people of one society to exclusively refer to their society, or their elite sub-group, or a few associated societies, implying all others, in time or geography or status, as something less than civilised, as savages or barbarians. cf refinement, elitism, civilised society, the Civilised World
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Dec 13, 2023
Civilization
The act of civilizing, or the state of being civilized; national culture; refinement.
Our manners, our civilization, and all the good things connected with manners, and with civilization, have, in this European world of ours, depended for ages upon two principles - . . . the spirit of a gentleman, and spirit of religion.
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Dec 13, 2023
Culture
The arts, customs, lifestyles, background, and habits that characterize humankind, or a particular society or nation.
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Dec 13, 2023
Culture
The beliefs, values, behaviour and material objects that constitute a people's way of life.
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Civilization
A society in an advanced state of social development (e.g., with complex legal and political and religious organizations);
The people slowly progressed from barbarism to civilization
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Dec 13, 2023
Culture
The conventional conducts and ideologies of a community; the system comprising the accepted norms and values of a society.
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Dec 13, 2023
Culture
(anthropology) Any knowledge passed from one generation to the next, not necessarily with respect to human beings.
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Civilization
A particular society at a particular time and place;
Early Mayan civilization
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Civilization
The quality of excellence in thought and manners and taste;
A man of intellectual refinement
He is remembered for his generosity and civilization
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Culture
(microbiology) The process of growing a bacterial or other biological entity in an artificial medium.
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Civilization
The process by which a society or place reaches an advanced stage of social and cultural development and organization.
The civilization of the region evolved over thousands of years.
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Culture
The growth thus produced.
I'm headed to the lab to make sure my cell culture hasn't died.
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Civilization
The comfort and convenience of modern life, regarded as available only in towns and cities.
After years in the wilderness, he returned to civilization craving its comforts.
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Culture
(cartography) The details on a map that do not represent natural features of the area delineated, such as names and the symbols for towns, roads, meridians, and parallels.
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Culture
(archaeology) A recurring assemblage of artifacts from a specific time and place that may constitute the material culture remains of a particular past human society.
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Culture
(euphemism) Ethnicity, race (and its associated arts, customs, etc.)
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Culture
(transitive) to maintain in an environment suitable for growth especially of bacteria cultivate}}
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Culture
(transitive) to increase the artistic or scientific interest in something cultivate}}
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Dec 13, 2023
Culture
The act or practice of cultivating, or of preparing the earth for seed and raising crops by tillage; as, the culture of the soil.
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Dec 13, 2023
Culture
The act of, or any labor or means employed for, training, disciplining, or refining the moral and intellectual nature of man; as, the culture of the mind.
If vain our toilWe ought to blame the culture, not the soil.
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Dec 13, 2023
Culture
The state of being cultivated; result of cultivation; physical improvement; enlightenment and discipline acquired by mental and moral training; civilization; refinement in manners and taste.
What the Greeks expressed by their paidei`a, the Romans by their humanitas, we less happily try to express by the more artificial word culture.
The list of all the items of the general life of a people represents that whole which we call its culture.
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Dec 13, 2023
Culture
The cultivation of bacteria or other organisms (such as fungi or eukaryotic cells from mulitcellular organisms) in artificial media or under artificial conditions.
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Dec 13, 2023
Culture
Those details of a map, collectively, which do not represent natural features of the area delineated, as names and the symbols for towns, roads, houses, bridges, meridians, and parallels.
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Dec 13, 2023
Culture
To cultivate; to educate.
They came . . . into places well inhabited and cultured.
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Dec 13, 2023
Culture
A particular society at a particular time and place;
Early Mayan civilization
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Dec 13, 2023
Culture
(biology) the growing of microorganisms in a nutrient medium (such as gelatin or agar);
The culture of cells in a Petri dish
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Dec 13, 2023
Culture
(bacteriology) the product of cultivating micro-organisms in a nutrient medium
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Culture
A highly developed state of perfection; having a flawless or impeccable quality;
They performed with great polish
I admired the exquisite refinement of his prose
Almost an inspiration which gives to all work that finish which is almost art
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Dec 13, 2023
Culture
The attitudes and behavior that are characteristic of a particular social group or organization;
The developing drug culture
The reason that the agency is doomed to inaction has something to do with the FBI culture
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Culture
The arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement.
The museum showcased the diverse culture of the ancient civilization.
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Dec 15, 2023
Culture
The beliefs, way of life, art, and customs that are shared and accepted by people in a particular society.
Through travel, one can experience the culture of different countries.
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Dec 15, 2023
Repeatedly Asked Queries
Can civilization exist without culture?
No, civilization encompasses culture as part of its social and cultural development.
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Jan 07, 2024
Are culture and civilization interdependent?
Yes, culture and civilization influence and shape each other.
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Jan 07, 2024
What defines a culture?
Culture is defined by shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices of a group.
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Jan 07, 2024
Are all civilizations culturally advanced?
Cultural advancement is subjective, but civilizations generally have complex cultural structures.
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Jan 07, 2024
How does culture impact civilization?
Culture shapes the social and moral framework within which a civilization develops.
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Jan 07, 2024
Can a small group have a culture?
Yes, culture can exist within any group, regardless of size.
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Jan 07, 2024
Can culture exist without advanced technology?
Yes, culture is more about shared practices and beliefs than technology.
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Jan 07, 2024
Is language a part of culture?
Yes, language is a crucial component of culture.
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Jan 07, 2024
How does technology affect civilization?
Technology plays a key role in the development and advancement of civilizations.
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Jan 07, 2024
Is civilization always urban?
While civilization often involves urban development, it's not exclusively urban.
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Jan 07, 2024
Does culture evolve over time?
Yes, culture evolves with the changing beliefs, practices, and innovations of a group.
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Jan 07, 2024
How does education impact civilization?
Education is crucial for the intellectual and technological development of a civilization.
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Jan 07, 2024
Does globalization affect culture?
Globalization can significantly influence and change cultures.
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Jan 07, 2024
Can a civilization have multiple cultures?
Yes, civilizations often encompass a variety of cultures.
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Jan 07, 2024
Can a civilization decline?
Yes, civilizations can decline due to various factors like environmental changes, war, or economic collapse.
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Jan 07, 2024
What role does religion play in culture?
Religion often shapes the moral and ethical aspects of a culture.
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Jan 07, 2024
Are cultural traditions always preserved in civilizations?
Not always; some traditions may evolve or fade as civilizations change.
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Jan 07, 2024
How do civilizations contribute to human history?
Civilizations contribute through their technological, social, and cultural advancements.
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Can cultures be completely isolated?
While rare, some cultures can remain relatively isolated from external influences.
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Jan 07, 2024
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About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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