civil

noun

A surname.

adjective

(comparable) Behaving in a reasonable or polite manner; avoiding displays of hostility.

(not comparable) Having to do with people and government office as opposed to the military or religion.

(law) Relating to private relations among citizens, as opposed to criminal matters.

Secular.

(archaic) In a peaceful and well-ordered state.

Roots

civisciv- · Latin · citizen

Synonyms for civil

civicadj civilianadj politeadj civilizedadj constitutionaladj courteousadj

Synonyms & related words for civil

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of civil — including civic, civilian, polite, civilized, constitutional, courteous. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to civil

Explore words related to civil — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include civism, noncriminal, civilly, gownsman, nonmilitary, unmilitary, inofficious, civically. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for civil

Common synonyms for civil include civic, civilian, polite, civilized, constitutional, courteous — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does civil come from?

The word civil breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root civ-, from Latin civis (“citizen”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.