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

"Soldiers have targets while civilians have goals. The objective of both is victory," he said, adding that combining military and civilian disciplines would help create a generation capable of achieving both.

From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026

Ankara has sent a proposal to Russia and Ukraine to end strikes on civilian ships, but says the two foes have failed to act on it.

From Barron's ● Oct. 31, 2026

Mr. Berg, unlike Messrs. Spielberg and Gibson, shines a light on the barbarism and racism of some U.S. troops and the staggering number of civilian casualties.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

China later imposed restrictions on the export to Japan of dual-use products -- those with both civilian and military applications -- and Tokyo has noted slowing or falling exports of some rare earths.

From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026

For many young men accustomed to a civilian life with freedom and personal privacy, military life was tough and there was a lot of grumbling.

From "The Boy on the Wooden Box" by Leon Leyson

An unspecified number of civilians were also injured during the operation, which was carried out "with rigour, balance and respect for citizens' rights", the police statement said.

From Barron's ● Nov. 1, 2026

During his speech, Moe Tun held up a scarf bearing the names and ages of Myanmar's "fallen heroes and innocent civilians."

From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026

Roughly 2,000 civilians remain in Oleshky, according to Ukrainian officials, who remain in touch with residents by phone.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026

Beyond that, the spa champions a culture of discretion that attracts celebrities and civilians alike.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026

No one knew how many Japanese soldiers and civilians would die.

From "Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two" by Joseph Bruchac

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Related Words

• citizen
• noncombatant

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