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
Each of these civil wars ended in peace agreements that paved the way for peaceful elections, yet insecurity and economic woes continue to plague the three nations.
—
Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Oct. 2025
The Southeast Asian nation is embroiled in a civil war with various ethnic groups fighting the military, creating an almost lawless situation in many parts of the country and allowing scam operations to thrive.
—Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2025
The king’s execution in January 1793 led to civil war throughout much of the nation.
—Time, 21 Oct. 2025
Now a mosaic museum, it was built in 1910 and was first a private residence and later served as the headquarters for Bank Audi, surviving through Lebanon’s civil war.
—Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for civil war
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Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Oct. 2025
The Southeast Asian nation is embroiled in a civil war with various ethnic groups fighting the military, creating an almost lawless situation in many parts of the country and allowing scam operations to thrive.
—Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2025
The king’s execution in January 1793 led to civil war throughout much of the nation.
—Time, 21 Oct. 2025
Now a mosaic museum, it was built in 1910 and was first a private residence and later served as the headquarters for Bank Audi, surviving through Lebanon’s civil war.
—Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 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 31 Oct. 2025.
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