civil
civil Lexical Profile
civil Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Relating to ordinary citizens and their concerns, as distinct from military or ecclesiastical matters.
"The country transitioned smoothly from military rule back to a civil government."
Courteous and polite in manner or speech, though sometimes only to a minimally acceptable degree.
"Despite their strong disagreements, the two candidates remained civil throughout the debate."
Relating to private legal relations and disputes between members of a community rather than criminal, military, or religious affairs.
"The contract dispute was settled in a civil court rather than through criminal prosecution."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'civil' with 'civic'; while both relate to citizens, 'civil' pertains broadly to citizens' rights, legal affairs, or polite behavior (e.g., 'civil rights', 'civil law'), whereas 'civic' specifically relates to a city, municipality, or community duty (e.g., 'civic pride', 'civic center').
• Rhymes for civil
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Old French 'civil', from Latin 'civilis' ('relating to a citizen or public life'), derived from 'civis' ('citizen').
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.