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

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

U.S. officials have said they believe Iran isn’t currently enriching uranium, which is a critical component of a civilian and nuclear-weapons program.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 22, 2026

"Mona barricaded herself inside her house, receiving no visitors and believing she was safe because she is a civilian," environmental activist and friend of Khalil, Maha Joumaa, told local media.

From BBC • Jun. 20, 2026

If targeters didn’t consult their AI tools, which can instantly scan troves of intelligence, questions will focus on why they didn’t—and whether technology could have helped avoid the civilian deaths.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 19, 2026

“Wilburn entered an intersection and collided with a civilian vehicle at approximately 71 mph,” the news release read.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 19, 2026

What was in dispute was how much money the prisons would receive and how much would go to the civilian sector.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

Related Words

• citizen
• noncombatant