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

In the following years, Tehran also became a major player in regional conflicts, including Syria’s civil war, where IRGC forces were at the forefront of operations. —Abbas Al Lawati, CNN Money, 1 Mar. 2026

Regime change will result in a bloody civil war, killing hundreds of thousands and creating another massive Muslim refugee crisis. —Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 1 Mar. 2026

But often those intentions stumble into a political quagmire where democratic dreams turn into civil war, once-compliant dictators become embarrassments and American soldiers return home in body bags. —Tim Sullivan, Fortune, 1 Mar. 2026

Hezbollah dispatched troops to neighboring Syria during that country’s civil war (2011-24) to assist the government of then-President Bashar Assad, a longtime ally of Iran. —Foreign Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, 1 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