civic
Americanadjective
-
of or relating to a city; municipal.
civic problems.
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of or relating to citizenship; civil.
civic duties.
-
of citizens.
civic pride.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of civic
1535–45; < Latin cīvicus, equivalent to cīv ( is ) citizen + -icus -ic
Explanation
If something is related to or benefits an individual citizen, it can be described as civic. People often say that it is your civic duty to vote. The adjective civic comes from the Latin word civis, which was the word for a citizen of Ancient Rome. It is also a root word for "city," so civic can also mean anything related to a city. In your town, civic leaders meet frequently and public input is always welcome. So if you have a grievance about a civic issue, you should attend a meeting — or drop by the diner where the mayor always eats breakfast.
Vocabulary lists containing civic
A Long Walk to Water
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Back-Words: Palindromes
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We the People: Civ
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The 12-year-old ran a red light at an intersection and was struck by a Honda Civic in July of 2025.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 27, 2026
Joe Ferguson, president of the Civic Federation, a Chicago watchdog group that tracks local and state finances, said the city fails to look at taxes in their entirety.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026
Instead the opposition Civic Platform Party and its coalition prevailed in 2023.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026
In the especially nasty autumn of 1954, women in June Cleaver dresses and gas masks protested outside the Pasadena Civic Auditorium.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026
Its huge sling cupped a projectile the size of a Honda Civic, glowing with flecks of gold.
From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
