civil Definition
civil (siv′əl)
adjective
- of a citizen or citizens civil rights
- of a community of citizens, their government, or their interrelations civil service, civil war
- cultured; civilized
- polite or courteous, esp. in a merely formal way
- of citizens in procedures or matters that are not military or religious civil marriage
- designating legally recognized divisions of time a civil year
- of or according to Roman civil law or modern civil law
- Law relating to the private rights of individuals and to legal actions involving these
Etymology: OFr < L civilis < civis: see home
civil Synonyms
civil
modif.
civil Law Definition
n
- Of or pertaining to all matters concerning the law except for matters arising under criminal law and military law. See also civil law.
- Secular.
- Of or pertaining to the duties, rights, and status of citizens and other residents of a country or state. See also civil disobedience and civil right.
civil Usage Examples
Modifies a noun
- servant: Asylum seekers children campaign update Now civil servants have outlined some timescales which will be reported to UNISON's Social Work Issues Group.
- liberty: Don't take liberties Mr Blunkett Are civil liberties at risk?
- war: At the start of the Civil war in 1642 he raised an army in Cornwall to fight for the King.
- society: The United Nations home page for civil society, click here.
- partnership: Civil Partnerships may take place at Salford Register Office or at one of our Approved Venues.
- ceremony: In which case for the marriage to be valid a civil ceremony is required prior to the religious ceremony.
Modifying Another Word
- only: Ceremonies Austrian law recognizes only civil marriages however, a religious ceremony may be performed after a civil marriage has been solemnized.
- then: If this looks unlikely, then civil war is extremely probable.
- so: Here, between Skiddaw and Bassenthwaite Lake lies ' a so civil wilderness ' .
- just: The talk is of criminal charges as well as just civil ones.
- also: Linking not only NGOs but also civil society movements.
- now: Asylum seekers children campaign update Now civil servants have outlined some timescales which will be reported to UNISON's Social Work Issues Group.
Used with adjective complement
include: Boundary categories include civil, judicial and ecclesiastical with some overlap.
Browse dictionary entries near civil
- ‹ civies
- ‹ civics
- ‹ civic-minded
- ‹ civic
- ‹ civet cat
- ‹ civet
- ‹ Ciudad Victoria
- ‹ Ciudad Madero
- ‹ Ciudad Juárez
- ‹ Ciudad Bolívar

