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

Its interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, the former al-Qa’eda militant who led the rebel offensive that overthrew dictator Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, has been struggling to rebuild a nation devastated by almost 14 years of civil war. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 6 Sep. 2026

In return, Lebanon agreed to search for the bodies of Jewish Lebanese citizens who went missing during the country’s civil war decades ago. — Fadi Tawil, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026

In 2011, Côte d’Ivoire emerged from a decade of civil war and its aftermath economically and politically fragile. — Colette Davidson, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Sep. 2026

Before Syria’s civil war began, in 2011, the country had served as a commercial crossroads between Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, and the Mediterranean, connecting Gulf states to European markets. — Jesse Marks, Foreign Affairs, 31 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1533, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for civil war

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

Kids Definition

civil war

noun

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