civil engineering

noun

: a branch of engineering concerned primarily with public works (as land surveying, the building of highways, bridges, waterways, or harbors, or the provision of artificial water supply, sewage disposal, irrigation) but also embracing private enterprises (as railroad and airport building, private building construction, farm drainage)

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1770, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of civil engineering was circa 1770

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Cite this Entry

“Civil engineering.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/civil%20engineering. Accessed 25 Dec. 2025.

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