civil

[ siv-uhl ]

/ ˈsɪv əl /

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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.

Nearby words

Origin of civil

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

SYNONYMS FOR civil

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

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ANTONYMS FOR civil

7, 8. boorish, churlish.

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Related forms

civ·il·ness, nounan·ti·civ·il, adjectivehalf-civ·il, adjectivehalf-civ·il·ly, adverb

o·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

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.

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

Examples from the Web for 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|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
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST

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|DAILY BEAST
Lincoln was especially fond of a joke at the expense of some high military or civil dignitary.
The Every-day Life of Abraham Lincoln|Francis Fisher Browne
During the Civil War, Exeter was twice besieged, but on neither occasion so rigorously as in 1549.
Devon, Its Moorlands, Streams and Coasts|Rosalind Northcote
Qualified as a civil engineer in Montreal, and practised his profession for some years.
The Makers of Canada: Index and Dictionary of Canadian History|Various
"Having paid the last arrears on the Civil List, I must now do the same for you," he wrote.
Farmer George, Volume 2|Lewis Melville
The furniture of the convents was transferred to the civil and military hospitals.
Joseph Bonaparte|John S. C. Abbott

British Dictionary definitions for civil

civil

/ (ˈsɪvəl) /

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

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.

civil

adjective

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Origin of civil

Synonym study

Examples from the Web for civil

civil

adjective

Word Origin for civil

civil