civil war
noun
plural civil wars
: a war between opposing groups of citizens of the same country
a country on the brink of (a) civil war
—often used in the capitalized names of specific warsthe Spanish Civil War
(American/U.S.) Civil War monuments
Note: The American Civil War, fought 1861–1865 between the United States and 11 southern states that had seceded from it, is also commonly known as the U.S. Civil War, or especially in the U.S. as the War Between the States or simply the Civil War.
Examples of civil war in a Sentence
a region that has had many civil wars
The country is on the brink of civil war.
Recent Examples on the Web
To the stories and history of his grandparents in the El Salvador of the 1980s when a horrific civil war raged.
—
Sara Sidner, CNN Money, 21 Mar. 2026
Images of marchers protesting the Nigerian civil war and of leaders of anti-colonial struggles blend with early documentation of European women’s-liberation movements.
—Hilton Als, New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2026
Dem civil war rages as 'Squad' progressives dealt major blow in deep blue primary.
—FOXNews.com, 20 Mar. 2026
Israel has rebuffed an offer of direct talks from Beirut as too little, too late by a government that shares its goal of wanting Hezbollah disarmed but fears that acting against it could risk civil war, sources familiar with the situation said.
—Yarden Segev, NBC news, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for civil war
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Sara Sidner, CNN Money, 21 Mar. 2026
Images of marchers protesting the Nigerian civil war and of leaders of anti-colonial struggles blend with early documentation of European women’s-liberation movements.
—Hilton Als, New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2026
Dem civil war rages as 'Squad' progressives dealt major blow in deep blue primary.
—FOXNews.com, 20 Mar. 2026
Israel has rebuffed an offer of direct talks from Beirut as too little, too late by a government that shares its goal of wanting Hezbollah disarmed but fears that acting against it could risk civil war, sources familiar with the situation said.
—Yarden Segev, NBC news, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for civil war
Cite this Entry
“Civil war.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/civil%20war. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.
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