You use civil to describe events that happen within a country and that involve the different groups of people in it.
...civil unrest.
2. adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
You use civil to describe people or things in a country that are not connected with its armed forces.
...the U.S. civil aviation industry.
3. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
You use civil to describe things that are connected with the state rather than with a religion.
They were married on August 9 in a civil ceremony in Venice.
...Jewish civil and religious law.
4. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
You use civil to describe the rights that people have within a society.
...a United Nations covenant on civil and political rights.
5. adjective
Someone who is civil is polite in a formal way, but not particularly friendly.
[formal]
As visitors, the least we can do is be civil to the people in their own land. [+ to]
civillyadverb
The man nodded civilly to Sharpe, then consulted a notebook.
civility (sɪvɪlɪti)uncountable noun
...civility to underlings. [+ to]
Synonyms: politeness, consideration, courtesy, tact More Synonyms of civil
More Synonyms of civil
civil in British English
(ˈsɪvəl)
adjective
1.
of the ordinary life of citizens as distinguished from military, legal, or ecclesiastical affairs
2.
of or relating to the citizen as an individual
civil rights
3.
of or occurring within the state or between citizens
civil strife
4.
polite or courteous
5. a less common word for civic
6.
of or in accordance with Roman law
7.
relating to the private rights of citizens
Derived forms
civilly (ˈcivilly)
adverb
civilness (ˈcivilness)
noun
Word origin
C14: from Old French, from Latin cīvīlis, from cīvis citizen
civil in American English
(ˈsɪvəl)
adjective
1.
of a citizen or citizens
civil rights
2.
of a community of citizens, their government, or their interrelations
civil service, civil war
3.
cultured; civilized
4.
polite or courteous, esp. in a merely formal way
5.
of citizens in procedures or matters that are not military or religious
civil marriage
6.
designating legally recognized divisions of time
a civil year
7. [sometimesC-]
of or according to Roman civil law or modern civil law
8. Law
relating to the private rights of individuals and to legal actions involving these
see also criminal, political
SYNONYMY NOTE: civil implies merely a refraining from rudeness [keep a civil tongue in your head]; polite suggests a more positive observance of etiquette in social behavior [it is not polite to interrupt]; courteous suggests a still more positive and sincere consideration of others that springs froman inherent thoughtfulness [always courteous to strangers]; chivalrous implies disinterested devotion to the cause of the weak, esp. to helping women [quite chivalrous in her defense]; gallant suggests a dashing display of courtesy, esp. to women [her gallant lover]
OPPOSITE: rude
Word origin
OFr < L civilis < civis: see home
Examples of 'civil' in a sentence
civil
This liberty is a civil right protected by a political constitution.
Roper, Jon Democracy and its Critics - Anglo-American democratic thought in the nineteenth century (1989)
He also said the government should look seriously at reducing the size of the civil service.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Senior civil servants have to show a commitment to reducing complexity.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
On the plus side this produced civil partnerships.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
It is now conventional wisdom that civil society is failing.
Christianity Today (2000)
The results come after the safest year on record for civil aviation.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
These talks widened the currency of his name in both civil and military circles.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
There are civil laws to control fraud and exploitation.
The Sun (2009)
It was an ideal location for an aspiring civil rights lawyer.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
But these hopes collapsed amid civil war and military defeat.
The Times Literary Supplement (2011)
Within a week he enrolled at night school with a view to getting himself in the civil service.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Many go on to pursue academic careers or take up senior posts in politics and the civil service.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Perhaps too many had died in their civil war for superior foreign armies to present so terrible a challenge.
Charles Glass The Tribes Triumphant (2006)
Greek civil servants are to lose six days of paid holiday they receive each year for using a computer.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Some found jobs in civil aviation.
Patrick Bishop FIGHTER BOYS: Saving Britain 1940 (2003)
The news means an end to the long and damaging civil war in European rugby.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Pals showed their support after seeing pictures of the civil partnership ceremony last December.
The Sun (2014)
It is about having civil rights, liberties.
The Sun (2012)
The handouts are for civil servants on more than 60,000 a year.
The Sun (2011)
The number of civil partnerships, by contrast, is rising.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
In other languages
civil
British English: civil ADJECTIVE
You use civil to describe events that happen within a country and that involve the different groups of people in it.
...civil unrest.
American English: civil
Brazilian Portuguese: civil
Chinese: 国民的
European Spanish: civil
French: civil
German: bürgerlich
Italian: civile
Japanese: 市民の
Korean: 국내의
European Portuguese: civil
Latin American Spanish: civil
All related terms of 'civil'
civil day
the period of time, the calendar day , of 24 hours ' duration reckoned from one midnight to the next
civil law
Civil law is the part of a country's set of laws which is concerned with the private affairs of citizens, for example marriage and property ownership , rather than with crime .
civil war
A civil war is a war which is fought between different groups of people who live in the same country.
civil death
(formerly) the loss of all civil rights because of a serious conviction
civil list
The Civil List is money paid by the state every year to members of the British Royal Family to cover their living expenses .
civil union
a legally recognized marriage-like union of same-sex partners
civil year
→ calendar year
civil action
Action is doing something for a particular purpose.
civil defence
Civil defence is the organization and training of the ordinary people in a country so that they can help the armed forces, medical services, or police force, for example if the country is attacked by an enemy.
civil defense
a system of warning devices, fallout shelters , volunteer workers , etc. organized as a defense of the population , esp. against nuclear annihilation
civil liberty
the right of an individual to certain freedoms of speech and action
civil rights
Civil rights are the rights that people have in a society to equal treatment and equal opportunities , whatever their race, sex , or religion .
civil servant
A civil servant is a person who works in the Civil Service in Britain and some other countries, or for the local , state, or federal government in the United States .
civil service
The Civil Service of a country consists of its government departments and all the people who work in them. In many countries, the departments concerned with military and legal affairs are not part of the Civil Service.
civil society
the organizations within a society that work to promote the common good, usually taken to include state-run institutions , families, charities , and community groups
civil unrest
Civil unrest is fighting between different groups of people living in the same country, and losses caused by this fighting are usually not covered by insurance .
civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who plans , designs, and constructs roads, bridges, harbours, and public buildings .
civil liberties
A person's civil liberties are the rights they have to say , think , and do what they want as long as they respect other people's rights.
civil marriage
a marriage performed by some official other than a member of the clergy
civil religion
Religion is belief in a god or gods and the activities that are connected with this belief, such as praying or worshipping in a building such as a church or temple .
civil twilight
the period of time during which the sun is 6° below the horizon
civil disobedience
Civil disobedience is the refusal by ordinary people in a country to obey laws or pay taxes, usually as a protest.
civil engineering
Civil engineering is the planning , design, and building of roads , bridges , harbours , and public buildings.
civil libertarian
a person who actively supports or works for the protection or expansion of civil liberties
civil partnership
A civil partnership is a legal relationship between two people that is similar to marriage.
the Civil War
the war between the North (the Union ) and the South (the Confederacy ) in the U.S. (1861-65)
American Civil War
the conflict between Charles I and the Parliamentarians resulting from disputes over their respective prerogatives . Parliament gained decisive victories at Marston Moor in 1644 and Naseby in 1645, and Charles was executed in 1649
Spanish Civil War
the civil war in Spain from 1936 to 1939 in which insurgent nationalists, led by General Franco , succeeded in overthrowing the republican government. During the war Spain became an ideological battleground for fascists and socialists from all countries
the Great Rebellion
the conflict between Charles I and the Parliamentarians resulting from disputes over their respective prerogatives . Parliament gained decisive victories at Marston Moor in 1644 and Naseby in 1645, and Charles was executed in 1649
civil rights movement
A movement is a group of people who share the same beliefs , ideas, or aims .
Civil Aviation Authority
the national body governing civil aviation
Civil Service Commission
an official body which regulates the wages and working conditions of civil servants and promotes their work
calendar day
the period of time, the calendar day , of 24 hours ' duration reckoned from one midnight to the next
day
A day is one of the seven twenty-four hour periods of time in a week .
jour
day
yom
day
British Civil Airworthiness Requirements
(in Britain) documents specifying aerodynamic, engineering design, construction , and performance requirements , which must be met before an aircraft is given permission to fly
astronomical year
the period of time, the calendar year , containing 365 days or in a leap year 366 days. It is based on the Gregorian calendar, being divided into 12 calendar months , and is reckoned from January 1 to December 31
lunar year
the period of time, the calendar year , containing 365 days or in a leap year 366 days. It is based on the Gregorian calendar, being divided into 12 calendar months , and is reckoned from January 1 to December 31
sidereal year
the period of time, the calendar year , containing 365 days or in a leap year 366 days. It is based on the Gregorian calendar, being divided into 12 calendar months , and is reckoned from January 1 to December 31
solar year
the period of time, the calendar year , containing 365 days or in a leap year 366 days. It is based on the Gregorian calendar, being divided into 12 calendar months , and is reckoned from January 1 to December 31
towmond
a year
tropical year
the period of time, the calendar year , containing 365 days or in a leap year 366 days. It is based on the Gregorian calendar, being divided into 12 calendar months , and is reckoned from January 1 to December 31
y
Y is the twenty-fifth letter of the English alphabet.
year
A year is a period of twelve months or 365 or 366 days, beginning on the first of January and ending on the thirty-first of December.
public servant
A public servant is a person who is appointed or elected to a public office, for example working for a local or state government .
public service
A public service is something such as health care , transport , or the removal of waste which is organized by the government or an official body in order to benefit all the people in a particular society or community.
liberty
Liberty is the freedom to live your life in the way that you want , without interference from other people or the authorities .
Chinese translation of 'civil'
civil
(ˈsɪvɪl)
adj
[unrest]国(國)内(內)的 (guónèi de)
(= not military) 民用的 (mínyòng de)
(= not religious)[ceremony]非宗教的 (fēi zōngjiào de)
(= not criminal)[case]民事的 (mínshì de)
(= polite)
to be civil (to sb)礼(禮)貌地(对(對)某人) (lǐmào de (duì mǒurén))
All related terms of 'civil'
civil law
民法 mínfǎ
civil war
内(內)战(戰) nèizhàn [ 场(場) chǎng ]
civil rights
公民权(權) gōngmínquán
civil servant
公务(務)员(員) gōngwùyuán [ 位 wèi ]
Civil Service
▶ the Civil Service 行政机(機)关(關) xíngzhèng jīguān
civil partnership
民事伴侣(侶)关(關)系 mínshì bànlǚ guānxi
the Civil Service
行政机(機)关(關) xíngzhèng jīguān
civil/public disorder
市民动(動)乱(亂) shìmín dòngluàn
to be civil (to sb)
礼(禮)貌地(对(對)某人) lǐmào de (duì mǒurén)
1 (adjective)
Definition
of or occurring within the state or between citizens
This civil unrest threatens the economy.
Synonyms
civic
the civic leaders of Manchester
home
Europe's software companies still have a growing home market.
political
a democratic political system
domestic
sales in the domestic market
interior
The French Interior Minister has intervened over the scandal.
municipal
the municipal library
Opposites
state
,
military
,
religious
2 (adjective)
Definition
polite or courteous
He couldn't even bring himself to be civil to Pauline.
Synonyms
polite
He was a quiet and very polite young man.
obliging
He was a most polite and obliging young man.
accommodating
Not every friend is so accommodating.
civilized
The negotiations were conducted in a very civilized manner.
courteous
He gave me a courteous but firm refusal.
considerate
affable
He is an extremely affable and approachable man.
courtly
a large man with a gentle, courtly manner
well-bred
She was too well-bred to make personal remarks.
complaisant
well-mannered
She is a well-mannered, polite child.
Opposites
unpleasant
,
rude
,
unfriendly
,
impolite
,
ungracious
,
discourteous
,
uncivil
,
ill-mannered
Additional synonyms
in the sense of accommodating
Definition
willing to help
Not every friend is so accommodating.
Synonyms
obliging,
willing,
kind,
friendly,
helpful,
polite,
cooperative,
agreeable,
amiable,
courteous,
considerate,
hospitable,
unselfish,
eager to please,
complaisant
in the sense of affable
Definition
showing warmth and friendliness
He is an extremely affable and approachable man.
Synonyms
friendly,
kindly,
civil,
warm,
pleasant,
mild,
obliging,
benign,
gracious,
benevolent,
good-humoured,
amiable,
courteous,
amicable,
cordial,
sociable,
genial,
congenial,
urbane,
approachable,
good-natured
in the sense of civilized
The negotiations were conducted in a very civilized manner.