civil engineer

noun

1. a person who designs public works, as roads, bridges, canals, dams, and harbors, or supervises their construction or maintenance.

civil engineer

noun

1. a person qualified to design, construct, and maintain public works, such as roads, bridges, harbours, etc

Derived Forms

• civil engineering, noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of civil engineer¹

First recorded in 1785–95

Example Sentences

Today’s software developers are akin to civil engineers in the 1940s and 1950s who designed bridges and roads, creating an infrastructure that paved the path for enormous widespread progress.

From TechCrunch

Farmers, construction workers, civil engineers, blacksmiths, carpenters, accountants know what they are working on, and whether it is a benefit to society or not.

From Fortune

He’s a civil engineer at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.

From Science News For Students

His father, a civil engineer, was working on an assignment in the Middle East when Gideon was born.

From Washington Post

He’s a civil engineer who consults on home construction projects but he worked his way through the planning organizations and neighborhood activist groups.

From Voice of San Diego

Before the uprising began in February, Mahmoud Derrat, 26, was a civil engineer.

From The Daily Beast

"I'm just a plain civil engineer, now," said Hale, "an engineer without even a job and—" his face darkened.

From Project Gutenberg

He may do this as a mechanical engineer, as a civil engineer, as an electrical engineer, as a mining engineer; it matters not.

From Project Gutenberg

At about this time—perhaps in 1793—Fulton gave up painting as a profession, and became a civil engineer.

From Project Gutenberg

By making him an able civil engineer, it laid the foundation of his future eminence in a military capacity.

From Project Gutenberg

His profession of civil engineer she steadily ignored; perhaps, however, she did not ignore it more than Lucian himself did.

From Project Gutenberg