civilian

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noun ci·vil·ian \ sə-ˈvil-yən also -ˈvi-yən \

Definition of civilian

1 :a specialist in Roman or modern civil law

2 a :one not on active duty in the armed services or not on a police or firefighting force

b :outsider 1

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civilian

adjective

See civilian defined for English-language learners

See civilian defined for kids

Examples of civilian in a Sentence

The bomb injured 12 civilians.

Recent Examples of civilian from the Web

Those tasks are handled by the same division that investigates shootings by civilians.

— jsonline.com, "Trust damaged between Milwaukee police and community, Department of Justice draft report says," 30 Aug. 2017
Eller alleges some who believed the deputy was at fault, including himself, saw their careers plummet, while those who thought the civilian was at fault moved up the ranks.

— cynthia sewell, idahostatesman, "Jury deliberations have started in Idaho State Police whistleblower case," 29 Aug. 2017
Europe has suffered through a deadly spike in terrorist violence, with hundreds of civilians killed and injured.

— david french, National Review, "Donald Trump Decided Not to Lose the War in Afghanistan," 22 Aug. 2017
During the Civil War, civilians who were accused of treason were also held there.

— kat eschner, Smithsonian, "Alcatraz Wasn’t Always ‘Uncle Sam’s Devil’s Island’," 11 Aug. 2017
Hamburg was devastated by these attacks, especially Operation Gomorrah, which killed over 30,000 civilians and leveled the most of the city.

— david grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Woman Accidentally Picks Up WWII-Era White Phosphorus," 9 Aug. 2017
For his part, Scaramucci has issued this statement: Leave civilians out of this.

— megan friedman, Marie Claire, "Anthony Scaramucci's Wife Has Reportedly Filed for Divorce," 28 July 2017
Further, private civilians and police officers that typically support cops in shooting cases have been relatively silent compared to past cases.

— malaika jabali, Essence.com, "Is The Shooting Of An Australian Bride By A Somali Cop Different From Other Police Shootings?," 21 July 2017
Oscar winner Mark Rylance portrays one of the hundreds of English civilians who used fishing boats or their recreational boats to sail across the English Channel to Dunkirk in order to rescue the soldiers.

— paul chi, vanityfair.com, "Why Harry Styles Decided to Launch His Acting Career with Dunkirk," 19 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'civilian.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of civilian

15th century

CIVILIAN Defined for English Language Learners

civilian

play

noun

Definition of civilian for English Language Learners

: a person who is not a member of the military or of a police or firefighting force

CIVILIAN Defined for Kids

civilian

play

noun ci·vil·ian \ sə-ˈvil-yən \

Definition of civilian for Students

:a person who is not a member of a military, police, or firefighting force

civilian

adjective

Definition of civilian for Students

:of or relating to people who are not members of a military, police, or firefighting force

After serving in the army, he got a civilian job.

Law Dictionary

civilian

noun ci·vil·ian

legal Definition of civilian

:a specialist in Roman or modern civil law

civilian

adjective

legal Definition of civilian

:of or relating to civil law as distinguished from common law

Learn More about civilian

See words that rhyme with civilian Spanish Central: Translation of civilian Nglish: Translation of civilian for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of civilian for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about civilian

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civilian

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Examples of civilian in a Sentence

Recent Examples of civilian from the Web

First Known Use of civilian

CIVILIAN Defined for English Language Learners

civilian

Definition of civilian for English Language Learners

CIVILIAN Defined for Kids

civilian

Definition of civilian for Students

civilian

Definition of civilian for Students

Law Dictionary

civilian

legal Definition of civilian

civilian

legal Definition of civilian

Learn More about civilian

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