civilian

American  

[si-vil-yuhn] / sɪˈvɪl jən /

noun

• civilians
  plural

1. a person who is not on active duty with a military, naval, police, or fire fighting organization.

2. Informal. anyone regarded by members of a profession, interest group, society, etc., as not belonging; nonprofessional; outsider.

   We need a producer to run the movie studio, not some civilian from the business world.

3. a person versed in or studying Roman or civil law.

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adjective

1. of, pertaining to, formed by, or administered by civilians.

civilian British  

/ sɪˈvɪljən /

noun

1. 1. a person whose primary occupation is civil or nonmilitary

   2. ( as modifier )

      civilian life

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• noncivilian
  noun
• anticivilian
  adjective
• procivilian
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• civilians
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of civilian

1350–1400; Middle English: student of civil law < Old French civilien (adj.); see civil, -ian

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Explanation

The most common meaning for civilian is simply someone who is not in the military. It can also refer to any object that is not military in origin — e.g., "civilian clothes" or "civilian life." The meaning of civilian as a non military person is a relatively new one, dating from the early 19th century. Before that it referred to the code of law that governed non-military life. In fact for hundreds of years a civilian was somebody who was a judge or otherwise an expert on the law that applied outside military courts. Because it comes originally from a French word, remember to spell it with only one "l," even though it sounds like it should have two.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

civilian civilians

China has previously supplied Iran with drones as well as equipment that can be used for both civilian and military purposes.

From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026

Yes, Jake is disenchanted and bemused by the civilian world he’s returned to; that’s a familiar journey.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

Severing military bases from the civilian power grid would free up an enormous amount of capacity that utilities like Georgia Power are currently providing to the military.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

South Korea's military demanded an official apology last week, accusing Pyongyang of "a clear violation of the Armistice Agreement", while Seoul's civilian leadership called for the North to return to dialogue.

From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026

“I’d like to join the ATA, the Air Transport Auxiliary, when they let more women in. I have a civilian license. My instructor joined in January this year.”

From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein

Mourning Israeli civilians, she argued, did not negate the suffering of Palestinians or diminish the struggle against Israel’s government.

From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026

“By remaining behind civilians, it makes it easier for them to shell our side of the river. They don’t even feed them—we send food ourselves, and risk losing drones.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026

Nuclear reactors at bases would mean less pollution and reduced electricity rates for civilians.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

The safety of civilians was paramount, and "we have no right to risk the lives of passengers and drivers", he said.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

The soldiers set up their garrison in another unfinished brick house, and there they socialized separate from the civilians.

From "A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier" by Ishmael Beah

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Related Words

• citizen
• noncombatant

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