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 warsthe 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 influx of weapons were then used by Somalis in the civil war against each other.
—
Immigration Lawyer, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
Only a handful remain in the country today, and most synagogues have since been destroyed after 14 years of civil war.
—Ashley Carnahan, FOXNews.com, 11 Dec. 2025
The film relies on generations of historians and historical research to reframe the founding story as a global conflict and a civil war.
—Time, 10 Dec. 2025
As Sudanese people grapple with the fallout of the ongoing civil war, the exhibition’s curator noted that art has stood at the forefront of the resistance.
—Preeti Jha, semafor.com, 8 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for civil war
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Immigration Lawyer, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
Only a handful remain in the country today, and most synagogues have since been destroyed after 14 years of civil war.
—Ashley Carnahan, FOXNews.com, 11 Dec. 2025
The film relies on generations of historians and historical research to reframe the founding story as a global conflict and a civil war.
—Time, 10 Dec. 2025
As Sudanese people grapple with the fallout of the ongoing civil war, the exhibition’s curator noted that art has stood at the forefront of the resistance.
—Preeti Jha, semafor.com, 8 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for civil war
Cite this Entry
“Civil war.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/civil%20war. Accessed 15 Dec. 2025.
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