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

Since April 2023, the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary group, have been locked in a brutal civil war that has killed at least 15,000 people and forced more than 10 million from their homes. —Violet Ikong, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 May 2024

Rodriguez had provided information about how the National Army had supported a rival cartel gang member to force a civil war in Norte del Valle. —Peter Aitken, Fox News, 8 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1533, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

civil war

noun

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