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"
the social process whereby societies achieve civilization
a conceptual whole made up of complicated and related parts; "the complex of shopping malls, houses, and roads created a new town"
(psychoanalysis) a combination of emotions and impulses that have been rejected from awareness but still influence a person's behavior
a compound described in terms of the central atom to which other atoms are bound or coordinated
complicated in structure; consisting of interconnected parts; "a complex set of variations based on a simple folk melody"; "a complex mass of diverse laws and customs"
a behavioral convention or pattern characteristic of all members of a particular culture or of all human beings; "some form of religion seems to be a human universal"
(logic) a proposition that asserts something of all members of a class
(linguistics) a grammatical rule (or other linguistic feature) that is found in all languages
adapted to various purposes, sizes, forms, operations; "universal wrench", "universal chuck"; "universal screwdriver"
applicable to or common to all members of a group or set; "the play opened to universal acclaim"; "rap enjoys universal appeal among teenage boys"
(law) an explanation of the fundamental reasons (especially an explanation of the working of some device in terms of laws of nature); "the rationale for capital punishment"; "the principles of internal-combustion engines"
(usually plural) small personal articles or clothing or sewing items; "buttons and needles are notions"
a general inclusive concept
an odd or fanciful or capricious idea; "the theatrical notion of disguise is associated with disaster in his stories"; "he had a whimsy about flying to the moon"; "whimsy can be humorous to someone with time to enjoy it"
the idea of something that is perfect; something that one hopes to attain
model of excellence or perfection of a kind; one having no equal
constituting or existing only in the form of an idea or mental image or conception; "a poem or essay may be typical of its period in idea or ideal content"
conforming to an ultimate standard of perfection or excellence; embodying an ideal
of or relating to the philosophical doctrine of the reality of ideas
an unexpected and inexplicable change in something (in a situation or a person's behavior, etc.); "the vagaries of the weather"; "his wealth fluctuates with the vagaries of the stock market"; "he has dealt with human vagaries for many years"
keep in mind or convey as a conviction or view; "take for granted"; "view as important"; "hold these truths to be self-evident"; "I hold him personally responsible"