civilian

American  

[si-vil-yuhn] / sɪˈvɪl yən /

noun

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
• procivilian
  adjective
• anticivilian
  adjective

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

Ituri has been under military rule since 2021, when the civilian authority was replaced by a military general in an attempt to neutralise dozens of armed groups that operate there.

From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026

The pope’s contention that “the use of force, violence and weapons reflects a relational poverty that always has disastrous consequences for civilian populations” won’t provoke any objections from the global glitterati.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026

In her budget for 2025-26, the mayor recommended layoffs for about 1,600 civilian workers.

From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026

On Wednesday, the U.S. indicted Cuba’s Raúl Castro, the 94-year-old brother of the late revolutionary leader Fidel, on charges of ordering civilian aircraft shot down near the island nation in 1996.

From Slate • May 23, 2026

He dreamed of it in the way other soldiers dreamed of their hearths or allotments or old civilian jobs.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan

Related Words

• citizen
• noncombatant