civilian

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

|Updated on: 13 Jun 2018

Examples: civilian in a Sentence

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

India says 25 civilians and 18 soldiers have been killed this year in over 800 cease-fire violations initiated by Pakistan.

— aijaz hussain, The Seattle Times, "India, Pakistan trade fire in Kashmir; 2 dead, 8 wounded," 2 June 2018
Yet, an upcoming video game that allows players to shoot and kill civilians to rack up points may give the argument some weight.

— fernando ramirez, Houston Chronicle, "Major backlash for 'Active Shooter' video game that lets players kill civilians, police," 29 May 2018
Acid noted that other violent games have existed on Steam's platform, including a 2015 game that involved killing civilians at random, though not in a school setting.

— orlando sentinel, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Parkland parents decry 'Active Shooter' school video game," 28 May 2018
An Army inquiry ultimately determined that 347 civilians were killed that day — shot, bayoneted, or blasted with grenades.

— richard goldstein, BostonGlobe.com, "Ernest Medina, 81, Army captain acquitted in My Lai Massacre," 14 May 2018
As the protest continued, the event later called the Haymarket affair became fatal when a bomb was thrown into a crowd of people on May 4, killing at least four civilians and several police officers, Al Jazeera said.

— crystal hill, miamiherald, "What is May Day? Here’s what you need to know about the celebrations — and protests | Miami Herald," 30 Apr. 2018
At least 70 civilians, including children, were killed in the attack and hundreds injured.

— kyle mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "What You Should Know About the Syria Strike," 16 Apr. 2018
Just before Trump took office, the U.S. military said at least 188 civilians had been unintentionally killed by coalition strikes since the beginning of its operation against ISIS in Iraq and Syria in 2014.

— margaret hartmann, Daily Intelligencer, "Trump Questioned Why CIA Avoided Killing Terrorist’s Family: Report," 6 Apr. 2018
According to hospital officials and police, two civilians were killed and dozens others injured in the ongoing clashes.

— Bloomberg.com, "Anti-India Protests Erupt in Kashmir After Deadly Fighting," 1 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

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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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

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