civics
Americannoun
noun
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the study of the rights and responsibilities of citizenship
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the study of government and its workings
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of civics
Explanation
The study of citizenship is called civics. If your school offers a civics class, you can learn about the importance of things like voting and paying taxes. Student government can teach you about civics, and so can certain social studies lessons and classes that a country's new citizens sometimes take. Civics can teach you about the rights granted to citizens, as well as their responsibilities, such as serving on juries and engaging in the political process. The word civics was an American English invention, modeled on politics, from the Latin civicus, "of a citizen."
Vocabulary lists containing civics
We the People: Civ
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Out of the Dust
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American Government and Civics, List 2
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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.
There is little evidence that the nonprofit has provided the civics education it claims.
From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2026
In 2016, Adams founded FLAG, registering it as a nonprofit with the mission to bring high-quality civics education to K-12 students across America.
From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2026
‘PBS Kids Across America,’ a block of programming tied to the 250th anniversary of America, aims to celebrate the country’s diversity while dropping history lessons and civics knowledge.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
Welcome to the Washington Metro, home to the country’s most enthralling rapid transit stations, a Brutalist masterpiece with a design discipline so consistent it reads like an architectural civics lesson.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
“We will teach mathematics, English, and civics every day,” Olanna said to Ugwu and Mrs. Muokelu a day before the classes began.
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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.
