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

However, each side holds that the Yemeni civil war has now entered a new phase from which neither side looks eager to extricate itself. — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 4 Oct. 2026

The Houthis had been fighting the Saudis since 2015 in Yemen’s civil war that killed hundreds of thousands of people before settling into a stalemate and an uneasy ceasefire in 2022. — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026

Syria's nearly 14-year civil war has ended, but the economy is still struggling, while inflation has ratcheted up the cost of living in the last year. — Emily Feng, NPR, 30 Sep. 2026

And the country [in the midst of a brutal 3+ year civil war] is in major crisis. — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 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