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.
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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