Usage Note
Civiliser means to bring a society to a state of civilization, though the word now carries colonial-era connotations and is used critically in historical contexts. The reflexive se civiliser means 'to become more refined'. The related noun civilisation and adjective civilisé are far more common in everyday use.
Examples
"Les conquistadors prétendaient civiliser les peuples autochtones."
Natural Translation
The conquistadors claimed to civilize the indigenous peoples.

Free starter pack
Building your French vocabulary?
Get the 100 most common French words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.
Related Words
Explore French by topic
FrenchNow
7 min read