civil

adjective

civ·​il ˈsi-vəl 

1

a

: of or relating to citizens

civil duties

b

: of or relating to the state or its citizenry

civil strife

2

a

: civilized

civil society

b

: adequate in courtesy and politeness : mannerly

a civil question

It was hard to be civil when I felt so angry.

3

a

: of, relating to, or based on civil law

b

: relating to private rights and to remedies sought by action or suit distinct from criminal proceedings

c

: established by law

civil freedoms

4

: of, relating to, or involving the general public, their activities, needs, or ways, or civic affairs as distinguished from special (such as military or religious) affairs

got married in a civil ceremony

5

of time : based on the theoretical mean sun and legally recognized for use in ordinary affairs

the civil calendar

Esoteric and sometimes outlandish balloons were floated: If we're not going to worry about civil time matching solar time, for instance, why not simplify global timekeeping even more by reducing the number of global time zones from twenty-four to five?

—Michelle Stacey

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is it called a 'civil war'?

The sense of civil found in civil war is not the one meaning "mannerly," or the one meaning "civilized." It is the word’s earliest sense in English, “of or relating to citizens,” as a civil war refers to one between citizens of the same country.

What is civil disobedience?

We define civil disobedience as "refusal to obey governmental demands or commands especially as a nonviolent and usually collective means of forcing concessions from the government." Some notable examples of civil disobedience are the cases of Rosa Parks and Claudette Colvin, black women who refused to give up their seats on public buses, when white passengers—and a city ordinance—demanded that they do so.

What is civil service?

A country's civil service is the part of the government that takes care of the government's basic business. It is the administrative part of the government, and independent of the military, and the occupations of its members are neither political nor judicial. In most countries, the term civil service refers to employees selected and promoted on the basis of a merit and seniority system, which may include examinations.

Synonyms

• national

Choose the Right Synonym for civil

civil, polite, courteous, gallant, chivalrous mean observant of the forms required by good breeding.

civil often suggests little more than the avoidance of overt rudeness.

owed the questioner a civil reply

polite commonly implies polish of speech and manners and sometimes suggests an absence of cordiality.

if you can't be pleasant, at least be polite

courteous implies more actively considerate or dignified politeness.

clerks who were unfailingly courteous to customers

gallant and chivalrous imply courteous attentiveness especially to women.

gallant suggests spirited and dashing behavior and ornate expressions of courtesy.

a gallant suitor of the old school

chivalrous suggests high-minded and self-sacrificing behavior.

a chivalrous display of duty

Examples of civil in a Sentence

They got married in a civil ceremony at city hall.

It was hard to be civil when I felt so angry.

She was barely civil to me.

Recent Examples on the Web

The innovation is claimed to have the potential to change not only high-speed sports, but also industries like aerospace, maritime, and civil engineering. —Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 31 Oct. 2025

As part of the Federal Aviation Administration regulations, administrators cannot interfere with or restrict federal and civil aviation activities, explained Stephanie McFarland, a spokesperson for airport officials. —Noe Padilla, IndyStar, 31 Oct. 2025

Lookouts on boats Days after the accident, civil maritime attorneys weighed in and explained that the crash could be the result of the barge not having a proper lookout. —David Goodhue october 31, Miami Herald, 31 Oct. 2025

The jury will reconvene Monday morning in the ongoing civil trial — which could be a roadmap for what’s to come with the criminal litigation against Parker. —Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin civilis, from civis — see civic

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing civil

• civil action
• civil death
• civil defense
• civil disobedience
• civil engineer
• civil law
• civil liberty
• civil marriage
• civil rights
• civil servant
• civil service
• civil service exam
• civil union
• civil war
• keep a civil tongue
• the civil service

Rhymes for civil

• divil
• drivel
• shrivel
• swivel
• uncivil

Kids Definition

civil

adjective

civ·​il ˈsiv-əl 

1

: of or relating to citizens

civil liberties

2

: of or relating to the state

civil institutions

3

: of or relating to ordinary or government affairs rather than to those of the military or the church

4

: polite without being friendly

gave a civil answer

5

: relating to court action between individuals having to do with private rights rather than criminal action

a civil suit

Etymology

Middle English civil "relating to a citizen," from early French civil (same meaning), from Latin civilis "relating to a citizen," from civis "citizen" — related to citizen, city

Legal Definition

civil

adjective

civ·​il ˈsi-vəl 

1

: concerning, befitting, or applying to individual citizens or to citizens as a whole

a civil duty

see also civil right

2

: marked by public order : peaceable in behavior

3

: of or relating to a legal system based on Roman law as opposed to the English common law

4

: relating to private rights and to judicial proceedings in connection with them

especially : relating to legal matters other than those characterized as criminal

a civil action

a civil infraction

5

: defined by law : legal

a civil disability

6

: of, relating to, or involving the general public, their activities, needs, ways, or civic affairs as distinguished from special (as military or religious) affairs

the civil authorities

the civil service

civilly adverb

Etymology

Latin civilis, from civis citizen