civilian

American  

[si-vil-yuhn] / sɪˈvɪl yən /

noun

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

• anticivilian
  adjective
• noncivilian
  noun
• procivilian
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of civilian

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

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

One firefighter and one civilian sustained minor injuries in the fire and were transported to a hospital for treatment.

From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026

The UN said on Friday it "strongly condemns any attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, wherever they occur," adding it couldn't verify details due to restricted access to the area.

From Barron's • May 23, 2026

On Wednesday, the U.S. indicted Cuba’s Raúl Castro, the 94-year-old brother of the late revolutionary leader Fidel, on charges of ordering civilian aircraft shot down near the island nation in 1996.

From Slate • May 23, 2026

Washington accused Cuba of unlawfully targeting civilian planes in international waters, and other countries condemned the action.

From BBC • May 22, 2026

Staff Sergeant X was in his room on the second floor of the civilian home in which he and nine other American soldiers had been quartered, even before the armistice.

From "Nine Stories" by J. D. Salinger

Related Words

• citizen
• noncombatant