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

“The attacks caused significant material damage and resulted in substantial civilian casualties,” said Bassel Doueik, a Lebanon researcher at Acled, another international conflict tracker.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

The targeting of civilian infrastructure has been met by a growing chorus of criticism from legal scholars who warn of violations of international humanitarian law and possible war crimes.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

They were part-time, locally controlled forces, composed of citizens who could be called up in emergencies and then returned to civilian life.

From Slate • Apr. 15, 2026

When Johannes Høesflot Klæbo strolls down Sixth Avenue in civilian clothes, he could pass for any number of New York City’s better-looking characters.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

My mother is pleased to see me wearing civilian clothes; it makes me less strange to her.

From "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel" by Erich Maria Remarque

Related Words

• citizen
• noncombatant