civvy

Or civ·y

[siv-ee]

noun

plural

civvies 

1. none civvies Also civies civilian clothes.

2. a civilian.

civvy

/ ˈsɪvɪ /

noun

1. a civilian

2. (plural) civilian dress as opposed to uniform

3. civilian life

Word History and Origins

Origin of civvy¹

First recorded in 1885–90; civ(ilian) + -y ²

Example Sentences

I became an HR manager and fitted back into civvy street.

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“We need to find who they are, extract them from what they are doing, second them to civvy street” — referring to the nonmilitary world — “and attach them to firms.”

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Mr Lewis said he struggled to cope with life on "civvy street" after leaving the Parachute Regiment and finding himself homeless.

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Reading the letter her great-grandfather received from a friend after they were both back on "civvy street", Miss Griffiths was struck by the similarities between what he was going through and what people are experiencing now.

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"To have this safety net of immunity from prosecution, I'd imagine nearly every single company in civvy street would love that… and I think it's a lame excuse in today's day and age," he says.

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