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

See Examples For:

civilian civilians

“Job well done to the tens of thousands of American service members, diplomats, and civilian personnel who answered the call in Iraq,” said Adm.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026

A total of 39.1% of workers in the civilian labor force hold such jobs, the BLS said.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 2026

Every military that has ever launched any operation had some awareness that its actions could occasion civilian deaths.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

When war broke out, civilian car assembly stopped completely, and the factory was converted entirely to military production.

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

A civilian observer was a dangerous liability for the platoon—they’d have to watch out for him when they should be focused only on the mission.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres raised the alarm on Friday, his spokesman saying Guterres was "particularly troubled by reports of the use of drones as well as incidents of harm to civilians".

From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026

Four separate sources have confirmed the deaths of two civilians carrying food on 20 September.

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026

Unknown drones, perhaps Russian and perhaps operated by local civilians, have been observed flying over the area during the exercise, Brassard said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026

Armies, displaced civilians, refugees, and traders frequently traveled along the same routes, creating opportunities for disease to move between regions.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026

Two more civilians in suits stood in the main room.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

• citizen
• noncombatant