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

The civil war in Yemen erupted once again this summer and significantly intensified last month, breaking years of relative calm. — Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026

The Republican government fled to Taiwan in ​1949 after losing a civil war with Mao Zedong’s communists, and the Republic of China remains the island’s formal name. — Reuters, NBC news, 10 Oct. 2026

Martinez and Exposito also highlighted Latino filmmakers who have used horror as a vehicle to talk about broader issues like civil war, narco-violence and genocide. — Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026

The Myanmar leader has also faced pressure from other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the regional bloc known as ASEAN, to end the civil war in his country. — ABC News, 8 Oct. 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