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 wars

the 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

In neighboring Syria, hundreds of thousands of Christians fled during the country's 14 years of civil war. —CBS News, 30 Nov. 2025

The first official papal visit to Lebanon was in May 1997 by John Paul II, when the country was recovering from the ravages of the 1975-1990 civil war. —Ben Wedeman, CNN Money, 30 Nov. 2025

Constantine saw a unified Church as essential to stabilizing an empire emerging from civil war. —Ruth Sherlock, NPR, 28 Nov. 2025

Brothers Georges and Daniel Daou were born in Lebanon and lived in Beirut until the civil war broke out in 1973. —Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 28 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1533, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for civil war

• albacore
• alongshore
• antiwar
• anymore
• blastopore
• carnivore
• commodore
• dinosaur
• evermore
• furthermore
• guarantor
• herbivore

Kids Definition

civil war

noun

: a war between opposing groups of citizens of the same country or nation