British spelling variant; relating to or concerning civilization as a whole or a particular civilization's characteristics.
From civilisation + -al (relating to). Civilization comes from civilize + -ation. British spelling preserves -s- rather than -z-.
Scholars debate 'civilisational' differences constantly—from Samuel Huntington's 'Clash of Civilizations' to UNESCO discussions—and this academic word shape-shifts meaning depending on whether you see civilizations as competing entities or as equally valid expressions of human culture.
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