civil

[ siv-uhl ]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or consisting of citizens:

   civil life; civil society.

2. of the commonwealth or state:

   civil affairs.

3. of citizens in their ordinary capacity, or of the ordinary life and affairs of citizens, as distinguished from military and ecclesiastical life and affairs.
4. of the citizen as an individual:

   civil liberty.

5. befitting a citizen:

   a civil duty.

6. of, or in a condition of, social order or organized government; civilized: civilized:

   civil peoples.

7. adhering to the norms of polite social intercourse; not deficient in common courtesy:

   After their disagreement, their relations were civil though not cordial.

   Synonyms: courtly, urbane, affable, suave, complaisant, gracious, deferential, respectful

   Antonyms: churlish, boorish

8. marked by benevolence:

   He was a very civil sort, and we liked him immediately.

   Synonyms: courtly, urbane, affable, suave, complaisant, gracious, deferential, respectful

   Antonyms: churlish, boorish

9. (of divisions of time) legally recognized in the ordinary affairs of life:

   the civil year.

10. of or relating to civil law.

civil

/ 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

• ˈcivilness, noun
• ˈcivilly, adverb

Other Words From

• civil·ness noun
• anti·civil adjective
• half-civil adjective
• half-civil·ly adverb
• over·civil adjective
• over·civil·ly adverb
• quasi-civil adjective
• quasi-civil·ly adverb
• super·civil adjective
• super·civil·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of civil¹

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin cīvīlis, equivalent to cīv ( is ) citizen + -īlis -il

Word History and Origins

Origin of civil¹

C14: from Old French, from Latin cīvīlis, from cīvis citizen

Synonym Study

Civil, affable, courteous, polite all imply avoidance of rudeness toward others. Civil suggests a minimum of observance of social requirements. Affable suggests ease of approach and friendliness. Courteous implies positive, dignified, sincere, and thoughtful consideration for others. Polite implies habitual courtesy, arising from a consciousness of one's training and the demands of good manners.

Example Sentences

There are, still, 2 million civil service employees, a number that seems ginormous until you remember, as Moynihan told me, that that number hasn’t grown appropriately in relation to the population, economy, and other factors since 1960.

From Slate

Cabinet Secretary Simon Case, the UK's most senior civil servant, told ministers last month they should "exercise discretion and should not take part in the public debate".

From BBC

I can also envision that his antagonism toward reporters might extend to a variety of criminal, civil and financial investigations.

From Salon

Lopez denied any wrongdoing in court filings and is expected to be among the first to take the witness stand in the upcoming civil trial.

From Los Angeles Times

He said Mr McGreanery’s killing had been “unjustified and unjustifiable” adding that the case “highlights the value and merit of such legacy civil actions in truth recovery and obtaining justice”.

From BBC

Related Words

• civilized
• cordial
• courteous
• diplomatic
• formal
• polite