civilian

1 of 2

noun

ci·​vil·​ian sə-ˈvil-yən How to pronounce civilian (audio)
 also  -ˈvi-yən
1
: a specialist in Roman or modern civil law
2
a
: one not on active duty in the armed services or not on a police or firefighting force

civilian

2 of 2

adjective

1
a
: of, relating to, or made up of civilians
civilian concerns/demands
the civilian population
civilian customers/casualties
The Congressional Gold Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom are the highest civilian honors in the United States.
b
: having the status of a civilian
a civilian pilot
2
: operated or controlled by civilians
civilian industry
: possessed by or vested in civilians
civilian authority
3
: intended or suited for use or consumption by civilians
civilian goods
With twin 2,520-horsepower engines and up to 19 seats, the Sikorsky S-92 is among the world's most powerful civilian helicopters.Josh Harkinson

Examples of civilian in a Sentence

Noun The bomb injured 12 civilians.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Ukraine is defending its sovereignty from Russian invaders, liberating its own territory and is fighting with the occupiers’ army and military targets, not civilians. Guy Faulconbridge, USA TODAY, 23 Mar. 2024 Several deadly attacks by Israeli soldiers on crowds of civilians lining up for aid have been reported in recent weeks. Kareem Khadder, CNN, 23 Mar. 2024 The tit-for-tat legal duel centered on a voluntary manslaughter case that — when charges were first filed more than three years ago — represented the first time in more than a decade that a law enforcement officer in Alameda County had faced criminal prosecution in the death of a civilian. Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 22 Mar. 2024 Israel's air and ground offensive against Hamas in Gaza has killed more than 32,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials, who do not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Daniel Estrin, NPR, 22 Mar. 2024 International observers have found substantial evidence that both Tigrayan and Ethiopian forces have committed war crimes, including the mass rape and murder of civilians. Ayen Deng Bior, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Mar. 2024 Detonating a weapon in space would be unprecedented and could run afoul of international rules barring the use of indiscriminate weapons on civilians or civilian objects. Georgina Torbet, The Verge, 19 Mar. 2024 But in the time since, Israel's siege has largely harmed civilians and many activists have called for a ceasefire. Jen Juneau, Peoplemag, 19 Mar. 2024 The United Nations imposed sanctions on him in 2022 for allegedly leading massacres of civilians as an officer with the Haitian National Police, and more recently in his current role as head of the G9 Family and Allies coalition of armed gangs. Amanda Coletta, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Gallant's visit comes at a time of increasing tensions between the two allies about the next steps in the war and reducing civilian suffering in Gaza. Suzanne Nuyen, NPR, 25 Mar. 2024 The resulting vacancy on the Board of Supervisors led to numerous delays in San Diego County governance, including nominations to the civilian oversight board. Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Mar. 2024 The Congressional Gold Medal is the oldest award and the highest civilian honor given in the U.S., along with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2024 The civilian version, the AR-15, is hugely popular among gun enthusiasts nationwide. Rachel Weiner, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2024 Democratic leaders have been under extreme pressure from progressives over Israel’s offensive against Hamas, which has resulted in tens of thousands of civilian deaths in Gaza, where the population could soon be facing famine. Annie Karni, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2024 Israel accuses Hamas of using hospitals and other civilian facilities to shield its fighters, and the Israeli military has raided several hospitals since the start of the war. Wafaa Shurafa, Samy Magdy and Tia Goldenberg, Quartz, 19 Mar. 2024 Israel alleges that Hamas is using hospitals and other civilian facilities to shield its fighters. Landon Mion, Fox News, 18 Mar. 2024 Most civilian hearing examiners are former prosecutors, judges, clergy or arbitrators. Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'civilian.' 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

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1817, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of civilian was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near civilian

Cite this Entry

“Civilian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/civilian. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

civilian

noun
ci·​vil·​ian sə-ˈvil-yən How to pronounce civilian (audio)
: a person not on active duty in the armed services or not on a police or firefighting force
civilian adjective

Legal Definition

civilian

1 of 2 noun
ci·​vil·​ian
: a specialist in Roman or modern civil law

civilian

2 of 2 adjective
: of or relating to civil law as distinguished from common law
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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