Topic: LAW
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| Date: | 1300-1400 |
| Language: | Old French |
| Origin: | Latin civilis, from civis; CIVIC |
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civ‧il S2 W2
1 [only before noun] relating to the people who live in a country
civil war/disturbance/unrest etc (=fighting etc between different groups of people living in the same country)
➔ civil liberty, civil rights2 [only before noun] relating to the ordinary people or things in a country that are not part of military, government, or religious organizations : They were married in a civil ceremony in May.
They were married in a civil ceremony in May.3 [only before noun]SCL relating to the laws about the private affairs of citizens, such as laws about business or property, rather than laws about crime [↪ civil law, criminal]:
4 polite in a formal but not very friendly way [↪ civility]: Try at least to be civil.
Try at least to be civil.