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
Her portfolio will be one of the most important as the country begins rebuilding after nearly 14 years of civil war.
—
Arkansas Online, 1 June 2025
The civil war that began in 2011 also displaced half the country’s pre-war population of 23 million people.
—Ghaith Alsayed, Christian Science Monitor, 30 May 2025
The Trump administration granted Syria sweeping exemptions from sanctions Friday in a big first step toward fulfilling the president’s pledge to lift a half-century of penalties on a country devastated by civil war.
—Abby Sewell, Chicago Tribune, 23 May 2025
At that time, there were a lot of Syrians coming into Canada as a result of that, and also because of the civil war that was happening there.
—Anne Easton, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for civil war
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Arkansas Online, 1 June 2025
The civil war that began in 2011 also displaced half the country’s pre-war population of 23 million people.
—Ghaith Alsayed, Christian Science Monitor, 30 May 2025
The Trump administration granted Syria sweeping exemptions from sanctions Friday in a big first step toward fulfilling the president’s pledge to lift a half-century of penalties on a country devastated by civil war.
—Abby Sewell, Chicago Tribune, 23 May 2025
At that time, there were a lot of Syrians coming into Canada as a result of that, and also because of the civil war that was happening there.
—Anne Easton, Forbes.com, 21 May 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 7 Jun. 2025.
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