civilian

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

Updated on: 19 Apr 2018

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

But does the evidence really hold up that the world faces a fallback in human rights and a rise in political violence against innocent civilians?

— The Christian Science Monitor, "Trump’s attack on Syria: a bias for hope?," 16 Apr. 2018
The measure is being deliberated as the Trump administration launched a response to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s latest apparent use of chemical weapons against civilians.

— NBC News, "Congress wrestles with new war on terror authorization," 16 Apr. 2018
In Yemen, the U.S. has provided considerable support to help our allies,the Saudis, conduct a brutal and seemingly limitless bombing campaign that has killed thousands of civilians — an effort that gets little or no attention here.

— will bunch, Philly.com, "U.S. bombs won't save the kids of the Middle East. Here's what we can do | Will Bunch," 15 Apr. 2018
On what ground can the Administration punish Assad for defying an international weapons ban and killing civilians?

— junot díaz, The New Yorker, "Trump’s Erratic Threats to Bashar al-Assad," 15 Apr. 2018
President Donald Trump ordered strikes, in coordination with France and Britain, to punish President Bashar Assad for an apparent chemical attack against civilians, officials said.

— jim joyner, baltimoresun.com, "Maryland representatives Cummings, Harris weigh in on U.S. missile attack in Syria," 14 Apr. 2018
But the points the episode makes about police brutality are undermined by the heavy-handed resolution that sees good cop Lyta arrested for treason after stopping her subordinate from killing more unarmed civilians.

— samantha nelson, The Verge, "What Syfy’s Superman prequel series Krypton is doing right," 12 Apr. 2018
In 1974, Palestinian gunmen killed 16 civilians, mostly women and children, in the northern Israeli town of Kiryat Shemona.

— azcentral, "AZ Memo: Hundreds overpaid, underpaid at MCC; Peoria's P83 lands hotels, restaurants; Desert Bar set to close for season," 11 Apr. 2018
That means bounding around the city, killing largely meaningless lesser monsters by mashing the square button or standing next to large crystals long enough to teleport handfuls of civilians to safety.

— steven strom, Ars Technica, "Extinction review: Shadow of the colossal disappointment," 10 Apr. 2018

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

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

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

Definition of civilian

civilian

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

Seen and Heard

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