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
But the town was controlled by ISIS at times during Syria’s civil war, and the economy remains moribund.
—
Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 18 Dec. 2025
Arnett interviewed all the major players in the civil war for CNN including Hekmatyar, Hekmatyar’s main opponent Ahmad Shah Massoud — who would be assassinated by al-Qaeda two days before 9/11 — and Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani who was killed by the Taliban in 2011.
—Peter Bergen, CNN Money, 18 Dec. 2025
Sudan’s brutal civil war has dragged on for more than 2½ years, displacing millions and killing in excess of 150,000 people – making it among the most deadly conflicts in the world today.
—Christopher Tounsel, The Conversation, 18 Dec. 2025
More than two years of civil war have led to famine conditions and mass displacement.
—Belinda Luscombe, Time, 18 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for civil war
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Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 18 Dec. 2025
Arnett interviewed all the major players in the civil war for CNN including Hekmatyar, Hekmatyar’s main opponent Ahmad Shah Massoud — who would be assassinated by al-Qaeda two days before 9/11 — and Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani who was killed by the Taliban in 2011.
—Peter Bergen, CNN Money, 18 Dec. 2025
Sudan’s brutal civil war has dragged on for more than 2½ years, displacing millions and killing in excess of 150,000 people – making it among the most deadly conflicts in the world today.
—Christopher Tounsel, The Conversation, 18 Dec. 2025
More than two years of civil war have led to famine conditions and mass displacement.
—Belinda Luscombe, Time, 18 Dec. 2025
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 Dec. 2025.
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