| Main Entry: | noble savage |
| Part of Speech: | n |
| Definition: | a primitive human as characterized in literature, representing natural goodness and simplicity when not encumbered by civilization |
Someone who belongs to an “uncivilized” group or tribe and is considered to be, consequently, more worthy than people who live within civilization. Many writers and thinkers through the centuries of Western civilization have believed in the noble savage. The expression is particularly associated with Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
noble savage
in literature, an idealized concept of uncivilized man, who symbolizes the innate goodness of one not exposed to the corrupting influences of civilization.
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