civil
♦♦ civ|il /s'ɪvəl/
1 [ADJ] ADJ n
You use civil to describe events that happen within a country and that involve the different groups of people in it.
...civil unrest.
2 [ADJ] usu ADJ n
You use civil to describe people or things in a country that are not connected with its armed forces.
...the US civil aviation industry.
≠ military
3 [ADJ] ADJ n
You use civil to describe things that are connected with the state rather than with a religion.
They were married on August 9 in a civil ceremony in Venice.
...Jewish civil and religious law.
≠ religious
4 [ADJ] ADJ n
You use civil to describe the rights that people have within a society.
...a United Nations covenant on civil and political rights.
5 [ADJ]
Someone who is civil is polite in a formal way, but not particularly friendly. (FORMAL)
As visitors, the least we can do is be civil to the people in their own land.
= polite
● civilly [ADV]
The man nodded civilly to Sharpe, then consulted a notebook.
● civility [N-UNCOUNT]
...civility to underlings.civ|il de|fence
in AM, use civil defense
[N-UNCOUNT] oft N n
Civil defence is the organization and training of the ordinary people in a country so that they can help the armed forces, medical services, or police force, for example if the country is attacked by an enemy.
...a civil defence exercise.civ|il dis|obedi|ence
[N-UNCOUNT]
Civil disobedience is the refusal by ordinary people in a country to obey laws or pay taxes, usually as a protest.
The opposition threatened a campaign of civil disobedience.civ|il en|gi|neer (civil engineers)
[N-COUNT]
A civil engineer is a person who plans, designs, and constructs roads, bridges, harbours, and public buildings.civ|il en|gi|neer|ing
[N-UNCOUNT]
Civil engineering is the planning, design, and building of roads, bridges, harbours, and public buildings.
The Channel Tunnel project is the biggest civil engineering project in Europe.civ|il law
[N-UNCOUNT] oft the N
Civil law is the part of a country's set of laws which is concerned with the private affairs of citizens, for example marriage and property ownership, rather than with crime.
≠ criminal lawciv|il lib|er|ties
The form civil liberty is used as a modifier.
[N-PLURAL]
A person's civil liberties are the rights they have to say, think, and do what they want as long as they respect other people's rights.
...his commitment to human rights and civil liberties.
...civil liberty campaigners.
= human rightsciv|il rights
[N-PLURAL] oft N n
Civil rights are the rights that people have in a society to equal treatment and equal opportunities, whatever their race, sex, or religion.
...the civil rights movement.
...violations of civil rights.civ|il serv|ant (civil servants)
[N-COUNT]
A civil servant is a person who works in the Civil Service in Britain and some other countries, or for the local, state, or federal government in the United States.♦ civ|il war (civil wars)
[N-COUNT]
A civil war is a war which is fought between different groups of people who live in the same country.
...the Spanish Civil War.
1 [ADJ] ADJ n
You use civil to describe events that happen within a country and that involve the different groups of people in it.
...civil unrest.
2 [ADJ] usu ADJ n
You use civil to describe people or things in a country that are not connected with its armed forces.
...the US civil aviation industry.
≠ military
3 [ADJ] ADJ n
You use civil to describe things that are connected with the state rather than with a religion.
They were married on August 9 in a civil ceremony in Venice.
...Jewish civil and religious law.
≠ religious
4 [ADJ] ADJ n
You use civil to describe the rights that people have within a society.
...a United Nations covenant on civil and political rights.
5 [ADJ]
Someone who is civil is polite in a formal way, but not particularly friendly. (FORMAL)
As visitors, the least we can do is be civil to the people in their own land.
= polite
● civilly [ADV]
The man nodded civilly to Sharpe, then consulted a notebook.
● civility [N-UNCOUNT]
...civility to underlings.civ|il de|fence
in AM, use civil defense
[N-UNCOUNT] oft N n
Civil defence is the organization and training of the ordinary people in a country so that they can help the armed forces, medical services, or police force, for example if the country is attacked by an enemy.
...a civil defence exercise.civ|il dis|obedi|ence
[N-UNCOUNT]
Civil disobedience is the refusal by ordinary people in a country to obey laws or pay taxes, usually as a protest.
The opposition threatened a campaign of civil disobedience.civ|il en|gi|neer (civil engineers)
[N-COUNT]
A civil engineer is a person who plans, designs, and constructs roads, bridges, harbours, and public buildings.civ|il en|gi|neer|ing
[N-UNCOUNT]
Civil engineering is the planning, design, and building of roads, bridges, harbours, and public buildings.
The Channel Tunnel project is the biggest civil engineering project in Europe.civ|il law
[N-UNCOUNT] oft the N
Civil law is the part of a country's set of laws which is concerned with the private affairs of citizens, for example marriage and property ownership, rather than with crime.
≠ criminal lawciv|il lib|er|ties
The form civil liberty is used as a modifier.
[N-PLURAL]
A person's civil liberties are the rights they have to say, think, and do what they want as long as they respect other people's rights.
...his commitment to human rights and civil liberties.
...civil liberty campaigners.
= human rightsciv|il rights
[N-PLURAL] oft N n
Civil rights are the rights that people have in a society to equal treatment and equal opportunities, whatever their race, sex, or religion.
...the civil rights movement.
...violations of civil rights.civ|il serv|ant (civil servants)
[N-COUNT]
A civil servant is a person who works in the Civil Service in Britain and some other countries, or for the local, state, or federal government in the United States.♦ civ|il war (civil wars)
[N-COUNT]
A civil war is a war which is fought between different groups of people who live in the same country.
...the Spanish Civil War.