civil war

noun

plural civil wars
: a war between opposing groups of citizens of the same country
a country on the brink of (a) civil war
often used in the capitalized names of specific wars
the Spanish Civil War
(American/U.S.) Civil War monuments

Note: The American Civil War, fought 1861–1865 between the United States and 11 southern states that had seceded from it, is also commonly known as the U.S. Civil War, or especially in the U.S. as the War Between the States or simply the Civil War.

Examples of civil war in a Sentence

a region that has had many civil wars The country is on the brink of civil war.
Recent Examples on the Web During the Syrian civil war, the camp filled with more displaced families. Anand Gopal, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 The former police officer, now the country’s most powerful gang leader, has issued Henry an ultimatum: resign or face a civil war. Samantha Schmidt, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024 Some Saudi leaders may even see a civil war as useful in weakening the Houthis, as long as Riyadh can stay out of the fighting. Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2024 The horrors of Sudan’s spiraling civil war are laid out in graphic detail in a new United Nations report that draws on photos, videos and interviews with over 300 victims and witnesses, to present the stark human toll from 10 months of fighting. Declan Walsh, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2024 Soon after independence South Sudan fought its own civil war from 2013 to 2018, when rivals President Salva Kiir and Vice President Riek Machar signed a power-sharing agreement and formed a coalition government. Deng MacHol, Quartz, 28 Feb. 2024 The security council had linked mineral rents to rebels in Liberia during the brutal civil war there and in neighboring Sierra Leone and commissioned a series of reports, sanctions and even a tribunal. Saleem H. Ali, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 When Syria descended into civil war in 2011, millions fled to neighboring countries. Aya Batrawy, NPR, 26 Feb. 2024 Lebanese are despairing over their next meal as the economic crisis worsens Lebanon is no stranger to disaster, having survived a 15-year civil war and a conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006. Washington Post, 25 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'civil war.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1533, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of civil war was circa 1533

Dictionary Entries Near civil war

Cite this Entry

“Civil war.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/civil%20war. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

civil war

noun
: a war between opposing groups of citizens of the same country or nation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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