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

Yemen has been mired for more than a decade in a civil war that involves a complex interplay of sectarian and tribal grievances and the involvement of regional powers. —Arkansas Online, 8 Feb. 2026

Tucker Carlson says liberal cities such as Minneapolis are pushing America toward disaster and civil war. —Robert Pape, Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb. 2026

The sanctions had been a significant obstacle to Syria’s economic revival after a 14-year civil war that inflicted deep damage on much of the country and displaced millions of people. —Reuters, NBC news, 8 Feb. 2026

Attack follows Friday’s strike on World Food Program convoy, in a pattern of targeting civilians and humanitarian operations amid ongoing civil war. —Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 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