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Definition of civics

civics

/ˈsɪv.ɪks/
civ · ics
Adverb:civically
•
Adjective:civic
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civics Lexical Profile

civics Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

The study of the rights and duties of citizenship and of how government works.

Example

"In our high school civics class, we learned how a bill becomes a law and why local elections matter."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for civics

Word Nuance & Usage

Although plural in form, "civics" functions syntactically as a singular uncountable noun when referring to the academic discipline (e.g., "Civics is taught in high school").

• Nearby Words

civet
civic
civically
civics
civil
civilian
civility

Word Origin & Etymology

Coined in the late 19th century in American English from the adjective "civic" (from Latin civicus, meaning "relating to a citizen," from civis, "citizen") plus the suffix "-ics" on the model of "politics" and "ethics."

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Civics. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/civics
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