civil

[siv-uhl]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR civil ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

of, relating to, or consisting of citizens: civil life; civil society.

of the commonwealth or state: civil affairs.

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

of the citizen as an individual: civil liberty.

befitting a citizen: a civil duty.

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

adhering to the norms of polite social intercourse; not deficient in common courtesy: After their disagreement, their relations were civil though not cordial.

marked by benevolence: He was a very civil sort, and we liked him immediately.

(of divisions of time) legally recognized in the ordinary affairs of life: the civil year.

of or relating to civil law.

Origin of civil

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

Related formsciv·il·ness, nounan·ti·civ·il, adjectivehalf-civ·il, adjectivehalf-civ·il·ly, adverbo·ver·civ·il, adjectiveo·ver·civ·il·ly, adverbqua·si-civ·il, adjectivequa·si-civ·il·ly, adverbsu·per·civ·il, adjectivesu·per·civ·il·ly, adverb

Synonyms for civil

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR civil ON THESAURUS.COM

7, 8. respectful, deferential, gracious, complaisant, suave, affable, urbane, courtly.

Synonym study

7, 8. 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.

Antonyms for civil

7, 8. boorish, churlish.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for civil

local, governmental, domestic, national, civilian, cordial, diplomatic, polite, civilized, courteous, formal, home, interior, municipal, political, public, accommodating, affable, complaisant, courtly

Examples from the Web for civil

Contemporary Examples of civil

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
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
An attack on journalists anywhere is an attack on civil society everywhere.
Why We Stand With Charlie Hebdo—And You Should Too
John Avlon
January 8, 2015
The scheme has been condemned by civil liberties groups and queried by the National Association of Head Teachers.
Britain May Spy on Preschoolers Searching for Potential Jihadis
Nico Hines
January 7, 2015
On Friday, the story had looked like it might blow over as Buckingham Palace sought to dismiss it as a “civil case.”
Buckingham Palace Disputes Sex Allegations Against Prince ‘Randy Andy’
Tom Sykes
January 4, 2015

Historical Examples of civil

Yet he is not possessed of the civil rights which citizenship should carry with it.
United States Presidents' Inaugural Speeches
Various
In the following century came the three sieges of the Civil War.
Yorkshire Painted And Described
Gordon Home
“I can walk,” he said, with a little friendly laugh to the civil driver.
The Secret Agent
Joseph Conrad
It might be thought that I would have a right to civil answers here.
In the Valley
Harold Frederic
In 1875 he was created an honorary member of the Institution of Civil Engineers.
Heroes of the Telegraph
J. Munro

British Dictionary definitions for civil

civil

adjective

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

of or relating to the citizen as an individualcivil rights

of or occurring within the state or between citizenscivil strife

polite or courteous

a less common word for civic

of or in accordance with Roman law

relating to the private rights of citizens

Derived Formscivilly, adverbcivilness, noun

Word Origin for civil

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

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

Word Origin and History for civil

adj.

late 14c., "relating to civil law or life; pertaining to the internal affairs of a state," from Old French civil "civil, relating to civil law" (13c.) and directly from Latin civilis "relating to a citizen, relating to public life, befitting a citizen," hence by extension "popular, affable, courteous;" alternative adjectival derivation of civis "townsman" (see city).

The sense of "polite" was in classical Latin, from the courteous manners of citizens, as opposed to those of soldiers. But English did not pick up this nuance of the word until late 16c. "Courteous is thus more commonly said of superiors, civil of inferiors, since it implies or suggests the possibility of incivility or rudeness" [OED]. Civil case (as opposed to criminal) is recorded from 1610s. Civil liberty is by 1640s. Civil service is from 1772, originally in reference to the East India Company.