ci·vil·ian
sə-ˈvil-yən 
also -ˈvi-yən
1
: a specialist in Roman or modern civil law
2
a
: one not on active duty in the armed services or not on a police or firefighting force
b
1
a
: of, relating to, or made up of civilians
civilian concerns/demands
the civilian population
civilian customers/casualties
The Congressional Gold Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom are the highest civilian honors in the United States.
b
: having the status of a civilian
a civilian pilot
2
: operated or controlled by civilians
civilian industry
: possessed by or vested in civilians
civilian authority
3
: intended or suited for use or consumption by civilians
civilian goods
With twin 2,520-horsepower engines and up to 19 seats, the Sikorsky S-92 is among the world's most powerful civilian helicopters.—
Josh Harkinson
Josh HarkinsonExamples of civilian in a Sentence
Noun
The bomb injured 12 civilians.
Recent Examples on the Web
Dayana Iwaza, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025
The Office of the Prosecutor has also launched a new public campaign asking and encouraging civilians, members of the different groups, any individual with information to provide it to the ICC.
—Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025
That included eliminating 73 vacant civilian positions and reducing money available to pay firefighters’ overtime by $7.9 million.
—Heather Knight, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for civilian 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
In Gaza, civilians expressed frustration over Trump’s recent declarations.
—Dayana Iwaza, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025
The Office of the Prosecutor has also launched a new public campaign asking and encouraging civilians, members of the different groups, any individual with information to provide it to the ICC.
—Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
Adjective
The civilian oversight body voted to tighten the department’s alcohol policy, lowering the acceptable blood-alcohol level for an off-duty, armed officer to 0.04% in some situations.
—Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025
That included eliminating 73 vacant civilian positions and reducing money available to pay firefighters’ overtime by $7.9 million.
—Heather Knight, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for civilian
Dictionary Entries Near civilian
Cite this Entry
“Civilian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/civilian. Accessed 17 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
civilian
noun
ci·vil·ian
sə-ˈvil-yən
: a person not on active duty in the armed services or not on a police or firefighting force
civilian
adjective
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share