civil

[siv-uhl]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or consisting of citizens.

   civil life; civil society.

2. of the commonwealth or state.

   civil affairs.

3. of citizens in their ordinary capacity, or of the ordinary life and affairs of citizens, as distinguished from military and ecclesiastical life and affairs.

4. of the citizen as an individual.

   civil liberty.

5. befitting a citizen.

   a civil duty.

6. of, or in a condition of, social order or organized government; civilized: civilized.

   civil peoples.

7. adhering to the norms of polite social intercourse; not deficient in common courtesy.

   After their disagreement, their relations were civil though not cordial.

   Synonyms: courtly, urbane, affable, suave, complaisant, gracious, deferential, respectful
   Antonyms: churlish, boorish

8. marked by benevolence.

   He was a very civil sort, and we liked him immediately.

   Synonyms: courtly, urbane, affable, suave, complaisant, gracious, deferential, respectful
   Antonyms: churlish, boorish

9. (of divisions of time) legally recognized in the ordinary affairs of life.

   the civil year.

10. of or relating to civil law.

civil

/ ˈsɪvəl /

adjective

1. of the ordinary life of citizens as distinguished from military, legal, or ecclesiastical affairs

2. of or relating to the citizen as an individual

   civil rights

3. of or occurring within the state or between citizens

   civil strife

4. polite or courteous

5. a less common word for civic

6. of or in accordance with Roman law

7. relating to the private rights of citizens

Other Word Forms

• civilness noun
• civilly adverb
• anticivil adjective
• half-civil adjective
• half-civilly adverb
• overcivil adjective
• overcivilly adverb
• quasi-civil adjective
• quasi-civilly adverb
• supercivil adjective
• supercivilly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of civil¹

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin cīvīlis, equivalent to cīv ( is ) citizen + -īlis -il

Word History and Origins

Origin of civil¹

C14: from Old French, from Latin cīvīlis, from cīvis citizen

Synonym Study

Civil, affable, courteous, polite all imply avoidance of rudeness toward others. Civil suggests a minimum of observance of social requirements. Affable suggests ease of approach and friendliness. Courteous implies positive, dignified, sincere, and thoughtful consideration for others. Polite implies habitual courtesy, arising from a consciousness of one's training and the demands of good manners.

Example Sentences

I worked for them for 12 years as a civil servant.

From BBC

They have raised fears of return to civil war.

From BBC

According to a report on its findings, ICE “routinely isolates people for minor infractions, transforming what should be civil administrative proceedings into punishment systems that operate without criminal conviction, due process protections, or proportional sentencing.”

From Los Angeles Times

The decision has drawn criticism from civil rights groups and some members of Congress, who argue that kneeling during a protest does not equate to a violation of the oath to uphold the law.

From Salon

The case in Stuttgart illustrates this ongoing emergency response in a developed country: Evacuations, civil protection, public outreach, interruptions to daily life — all orchestrated with logistical precision.

From Salon

Related Words

• civilized 
• cordial 
• courteous 
• diplomatic 
• formal 
• polite