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civil Definition

civil (siv′əl)

adjective

  1. of a citizen or citizens civil rights
  2. of a community of citizens, their government, or their interrelations civil service, civil war
  3. cultured; civilized
  4. polite or courteous, esp. in a merely formal way
  5. of citizens in procedures or matters that are not military or religious civil marriage
  6. designating legally recognized divisions of time a civil year
  7. of or according to Roman civil law or modern civil law
  8. 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.

  1. Civic

    local, civic, public, civilian; see municipal, public 2.

  2. Polite

    courteous, formal, cordial; see polite 1. See syn. study at polite.

civil Law Definition

n

  1. Of or pertaining to all matters concerning the law except for matters arising under criminal law and military law. See also civil law.
  2. Secular.
  3. 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.