civil
Use Civil in a sentence
əl adjective
1.
of, pertaining to, or consisting of citizens: civil life; civil society.
2.
of the commonwealth or state: civil affairs.
3.
of citizens in their ordinary capacity, or of the ordinary life and affairs of citizens, as distinguished from military and ecclesiastical life and affairs.
4.
of the citizen as an individual: civil liberty.
5.
befitting a citizen: a civil duty.
6.
of, or in a condition of, social order or organized government; civilized: civil peoples.
7.
adhering to the norms of polite social intercourse; not deficient in common courtesy: After their disagreement, their relations were civil though not cordial.
8.
marked by benevolence: He was a very civil sort, and we liked him immediately.
9.
(of divisions of time) legally recognized in the ordinary affairs of life: the civil year.
10.
of or pertaining to civil law.
Related forms
civ·il·ness, noun
an·ti·civ·il, adjective
half-civ·il, adjective
half-civ·il·ly, adverb
o·ver·civ·il, adjective
o·ver·civ·il·ly, adverb
qua·si-civ·il, adjective
qua·si-civ·il·ly, adverb
su·per·civ·il, adjective
su·per·civ·il·ly, adverb
Synonyms
7, 8. respectful, deferential, gracious, complaisant, suave, affable, urbane, courtly. Civil, affable, courteous, polite all imply avoidance of rudeness toward others. Civil suggests a minimum of observance of social requirements. Affable suggests ease of approach and friendliness. Courteous implies positive, dignified, sincere, and thoughtful consideration for others. Polite implies habitual courtesy, arising from a consciousness of one's training and the demands of good manners.
7, 8. respectful, deferential, gracious, complaisant, suave, affable, urbane, courtly. Civil, affable, courteous, polite all imply avoidance of rudeness toward others. Civil suggests a minimum of observance of social requirements. Affable suggests ease of approach and friendliness. Courteous implies positive, dignified, sincere, and thoughtful consideration for others. Polite implies habitual courtesy, arising from a consciousness of one's training and the demands of good manners.
Antonyms
7, 8. boorish, churlish.
7, 8. boorish, churlish.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To civil
00:10
Civil
is always a great word to know.
So is quash. Does it mean:
| BELIEVABLE |
| to suppress |
Collins
World English Dictionary
civil (ˈsɪvəl) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —adj | |
| 1. | of the ordinary life of citizens as distinguished from military, legal, or ecclesiastical affairs |
| 2. | of or relating to the citizen as an individual: civil rights |
| 3. | of or occurring within the state or between citizens: civil strife |
| 4. | polite or courteous |
| 5. | a less common word for civic |
| 6. | of or in accordance with Roman law |
| 7. | relating to the private rights of citizens |
| [C14: from Old French, from Latin cīvīlis, from cīvis citizen] | |
| 'civilly | |
| —adv | |
| 'civilness | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
civil
late 14c., from L. civilis "relating to a citizen, relating to public life, befitting a citizen," hence "popular, affable, courteous;" alternative adj. derivation of civis "townsman" (see city). The sense of "polite" was in the L., from the courteous manners of citizens, as
opposed to those of soldiers. But Eng. did not pick up this nuance of the word until late 16c. "Courteous is thus more commonly said of superiors, civil of inferiors, since it implies or suggests the possibility of incivility or rudeness" [OED]. Civil case (as opposed to criminal) is recorded from 1610s. Civil liberty is from 1788.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
Many on the left think civil libertarians err when they elevate him.
The families of the dead are also seeking millions of dollars in civil damages.
But all civil and criminal cases still go through the normal judicial system.
Unlike the rest of this stuff, it's a crime rather than a civil matter.
Nearby Words
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