civil war

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See synonyms for civil war on Thesaurus.com

noun

a war between political factions or regions within the same country.

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Compare American Civil War, English Civil War, Spanish Civil War.

Origin of civil war

First recorded in 1540–50

Words nearby civil war

civil servant, civil service, civil society, civil tongue, civil union, civil war, civil year, civism, Civitan, civitas, Civitavecchia

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use civil war in a sentence

His invocation of a civil war and the American Civil War was provocative.
In America’s ‘Uncivil War,’ Republicans Are The Aggressors|Perry Bacon Jr. (perry.bacon@fivethirtyeight.com)|February 8, 2021|FiveThirtyEight
It is kind of exciting to see the Republican Party disintegrate into a civil war and try to figure out which side will win.
Marjorie Taylor Greene is delusional, dangerous|Peter Rosenstein|February 4, 2021|Washington Blade
The aim was to dry up funding for violent groups and force an end to civil wars.
Beyond GameStop: Are You Ready for an Economic Moonshot?|Charu Kasturi|January 31, 2021|Ozy
He said militants cling to a fantasy that if a civil war were to break out, what some extremists call a boogaloo, police and the military would join their side.
“Sense of Entitlement”: Rioters Faced Few Consequences Invading State Capitols. No Wonder They Turned to the U.S. Capitol Next.|by Jeremy Kohler|January 19, 2021|ProPublica

We should be conscious, too, that America has shown resilience in the past when dealing with sharp divisions, up to and including a civil war.
Madeleine Albright: 'Us vs. Them' Thinking Is Tearing America Apart. But Here's Why I'm Still Hopeful About the Future|Madeleine Albright|January 15, 2021|Time
They are, to say the least, preparing for civil war (the polling stations are stormed by armed gangs).
Houellebecq’s Incendiary Novel Imagines France With a Muslim President|Pierre Assouline|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But what is there more irresponsible than playing with the fire of an imagined civil war in the France of today?
Houellebecq’s Incendiary Novel Imagines France With a Muslim President|Pierre Assouline|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Compared with neighbors Myanmar, Vietnam, and Laos, Cambodia appears to have a blossoming civil society.
Cambodia’s Smoke-and-Mirrors Democracy|David Shaftel|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Strangio is at his best when exposing what appears to be a flourishing civil society in Cambodia.
Cambodia’s Smoke-and-Mirrors Democracy|David Shaftel|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Rashad was there to celebrate the release of the Civil Rights drama Selma.
Phylicia Rashad and the Cult of Cosby Truthers|Stereo Williams|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
He distinguished himself in several campaigns, especially in the Peninsular war, and was raised to the rank of field marshal.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
His 6,000 native auxiliaries (as it proved later on) could not be relied upon in a civil war.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
"There is no more war," Brion translated for Ulv, realizing that the Disan had understood nothing of the explanation.
Sense of Obligation|Henry Maxwell Dempsey (AKA Harry Harrison)
I cannot reconcile the idea of a tender Heavenly Father with the known horrors of war, slavery, pestilence, and insanity.
God and my Neighbour|Robert Blatchford
We were now masters of the whole country, and the war was apparently at an end.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various

British Dictionary definitions for civil war (1 of 2)

civil war

noun

war between parties, factions, or inhabitants of different regions within the same nation

British Dictionary definitions for civil war (2 of 2)

Civil War

noun

English history the conflict between Charles I and the Parliamentarians resulting from disputes over their respective prerogatives. Parliament gained decisive victories at Marston Moor in 1644 and Naseby in 1645, and Charles was executed in 1649

US history the war fought from 1861 to 1865 between the North and the South, sparked off by Lincoln's election as president but with deep-rooted political and economic causes, exacerbated by the slavery issue. The advantages of the North in terms of population, finance, and communications brought about the South's eventual surrender at Appomattox

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for civil war

Civil War

The war fought in the United States between northern (Union) and southern (Confederate) states from 1861 to 1865, in which the Confederacy sought to establish itself as a separate nation. The Civil War is also known as the War for Southern Independence and as the War between the States. The war grew out of deep-seated differences between the social structure and economy of North and South, most notably over slavery; generations of political maneuvers had been unable to overcome these differences (see Missouri Compromise and Compromise of 1850). The secession of the southern states began in late 1860, after Abraham Lincoln was elected president. The Confederacy was formed in early 1861. The fighting began with the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter. Most of the battles took place in the South, but one extremely crucial episode, the Battle of Gettysburg, was fought in the North. The war ended with the surrender of General Robert E. Lee to General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House. (See Battle of Bull Run, Battle of Chancellorsville, Emancipation Proclamation, and Sherman's march to the sea.)

notes for Civil War

The Civil War has been the most serious test yet of the ability of the United States to remain one nation.