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

And if this isn't managed carefully, a country of 90 million people could very well fall into civil war. —ABC News, 29 Mar. 2026

Much of the cash, stuffed inside suitcases and shipped out on international flights, makes its way to countries scattered across East Africa, where many Somalis fanned out following their nation’s civil war. —Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 28 Mar. 2026

Finally, after a 13-year hiatus due to the Libyan civil war, archaeologists from the University of Warsaw returned in 2023 to explore the remains of one of the largest ancient Greek cities in the Cyrenaica region. —Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 28 Mar. 2026

During Syria’s civil war that began in 2011, Suqaylabiyah was held by forces loyal to Assad while Qalaat al-Madiq was held by insurgent groups that eventually overthrew the Assad family’s 54-year rule. —Omar Albam, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2026

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