Civil

• POS: Adjective
• HYPHEN: civ=il

CIDE DICTIONARY

Civil, a. [L. civilis, fr. civis citizen: cf. F. civil. See City.].

•  Pertaining to a city or state, or to a citizen in his relations to his fellow citizens or to the state; within the city or state.  [1913 Webster]
•  Subject to government; reduced to order; civilized; not barbarous; -- said of the community.  [1913 Webster]

  "England was very rude and barbarous; for it is but even the other day since England grew civil."  [1913 Webster]
•  Performing the duties of a citizen; obedient to government; -- said of an individual.  [1913 Webster]

  "Civil men come nearer the saints of God than others; they come within a step or two of heaven."  [1913 Webster]
•  Having the manners of one dwelling in a city, as opposed to those of savages or rustics; polite; courteous; complaisant; affable.  [1913 Webster]

  " “A civil man now is one observant of slight external courtesies in the mutual intercourse between man and man; a civil man once was one who fulfilled all the duties and obligations flowing from his position as a 'civis' and his relations to the other members of that 'civitas.'”"  Trench  [1913 Webster]
•  Pertaining to civic life and affairs, in distinction from military, ecclesiastical, or official state.  [1913 Webster]
•  Relating to rights and remedies sought by action or suit distinct from criminal proceedings.  [1913 Webster]

Civil action, an action to enforce the rights or redress the wrongs of an individual, not involving a criminal proceeding. -- Civil architecture, the architecture which is employed in constructing buildings for the purposes of civil life, in distinction from military and naval architecture, as private houses, palaces, churches, etc. -- Civil death. (Law.) See under Death. -- Civil engineering. See under Engineering. -- Civil law. See under Law. -- Civil list. See under List. -- Civil remedy (Law), that given to a person injured, by action, as opposed to a criminal prosecution. -- Civil service, all service rendered to and paid for by the state or nation other than that pertaining to naval or military affairs. -- Civil service reform, the substitution of business principles and methods for the spoils system in the conduct of the civil service, esp. in the matter of appointments to office. -- Civil state, the whole body of the laity or citizens not included under the military, maritime, and ecclesiastical states. -- Civil suit. Same as Civil action. -- Civil war. See under War. -- Civil year. See under Year.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Civil, adj.
1 of or belonging to citizens.
2 of ordinary citizens and their concerns, as distinct from military or naval or ecclesiastical matters.
3 polite, obliging, not rude.
4 Law relating to civil law (see below), not criminal or political matters (civil court; civil lawyer).
5 (of the length of a day, year, etc.) fixed by custom or law, not natural or astronomical.

Idiom

civil aviation non-military, esp. commercial aviation. civil commotion a riot or similar disturbance. civil defence the organization and training of civilians for the protection of lives and property during and after attacks in wartime. civil disobedience the refusal to comply with certain laws or to pay taxes etc. as a peaceful form of political protest. civil engineer an engineer who designs or maintains roads, bridges, dams, etc. civil engineering this work. civil law
1 law concerning private rights (opp. criminal law).
2 hist. Roman or non-ecclesiastical law. civil libertarian an advocate of increased civil liberty. civil liberty (often in pl.) freedom of action and speech subject to the law. civil list (in the UK) an annual allowance voted by Parliament for the royal family's household expenses. civil marriage a marriage solemnized as a civil contract without religious ceremony. civil rights the rights of citizens to political and social freedom and equality. civil servant a member of the civil service. civil service the permanent professional branches of State administration, excluding military and judicial branches and elected politicians. civil state being single or married or divorced etc. civil war a war between citizens of the same country. civil year see YEAR 2.

Derivative

civilly adv.

Etymology

ME f. OF f. L civilis f. civis citizen

THESAURUS

Civil

absolute, accommodating, affable, agreeable, amiable, appropriate, aristocratic, attentive, authoritarian, autocratic, autonomous, becoming, bland, bureaucratic, civic, civilian, civilized, clubbable, clubbish, clubby, common, communal, communicative, companionable, companionate, compatible, complaisant, congenial, congregational, considerate, constitutional, cordial, cosmopolitan, courteous, courtly, cultivated, decent, decorous, deferential, democratic, despotic, dictatorial, diplomatic, domestic, fair, fascist, federal, federalist, federalistic, felicitous, fit for society, fitting, fond of society, formal, friendly, general, genial, genteel, governmental, graceful, gracious, gregarious, gubernatorial, happy, heteronomous, hospitable, impolite, internal, international, laic, laical, lay, mannered, mannerly, matriarchal, matriarchic, meet, monarchal, monarchial, monarchic, monocratic, national, nonclerical, nonecclesiastical, nonministerial, nonordained, nonpastoral, nonreligious, obliging, official, oligarchal, oligarchic, parliamentarian, parliamentary, patriarchal, patriarchic, pluralistic, polished, polite, politic, political, popular, proper, public, refined, republican, respectful, right, secular, secularist, secularistic, seemly, self-governing, sociable, social, social-minded, societal, solicitous, state, suave, suitable, supranational, tactful, temporal, theocratic, thoughtful, totalitarian, ungracious, urbane, well-bred, well-mannered

ROGET THESAURUS

Civil

Laity

N laity, flock, fold, congregation, assembly, brethren, people, society, temporality, secularization, layman, civilian, parishioner, catechumen, secularist, secular, lay, laical, civil, temporal, profane.

Fashion

N fashion, style, ton, bon ton, society, good society, polite society, monde, drawing-room, civilized life, civilization, town, beau monde, high life, court, world, fashionable world, gay world, Vanity Fair, show, manners, breeding, air, demeanor, savoir faire, gentlemanliness, gentility, decorum, propriety, biens_eance, conventions of society, Mrs, Grundy, punctilio, form, formality, etiquette, point of etiquette, dress, custom, mode, vogue, go, rage, prevailing taste, fad, trend, bandwagon, furore, thing, in thing, craze, chic, last word, man of fashion, woman of fashion, man of the world, woman of the world, height of fashion, pink of fashion, star of fashion, glass of fashion, leader of fashion, arbiter elegantiarum, the beautiful people, the fashion set, upper ten thousand, elite, smart set, the four hundred, in crowd, fashionable, in fashion, a la mode, comme il faut, admitted in society, admissible in society, presentable, conventional, genteel, well-bred, well mannered, well behaved, well spoken, gentlemanlike, gentlemanly, ladylike, civil, polite, polished, refined, thoroughbred, courtly, distingue, unembarrassed, degage, janty, jaunty, dashing, fast, modish, stylish, chic, trendy, recherche, newfangled, all the rage, all the go, with it, in, faddish, in court, in full dress, in evening dress, en grande tenue, fashionably, for fashion's sake, a la francaise, a la parisienne, a l' anglaise, a l' americaine, autre temps autre mauers, chaque pays a sa guise.

Courtesy

N courtesy, respect, good manners, good behavior, good breeding, manners, politeness, bienseance, urbanity, comity, gentility, breeding, polish, presence, civility, civilization, amenity, suavity, good temper, good humor, amiability, easy temper, complacency, soft tongue, mansuetude, condescension, affability, complaisance, pr_evenance, amability, gallantry, pink of politeness, pink of courtesy, compliment, fair words, soft words, sweet words, honeyed phrases, ceremonial salutation, reception, presentation, introduction, accueil, greeting, recognition, welcome, abord, respects, devoir, regards, remembrances, kind regards, kind remembrances, love, best love, duty, empty encomium, flattering remark, hollow commendation, salaams, obeisance, bow, courtesy, curtsy, scrape, salaam, kotow, kowtow, bowing and scraping, kneeling, genuflection, obsequiousness, capping, shaking hands grip of the hand, embrace, hug, squeeze, accolade, loving cup, vin d'honneur, pledge, love token, kiss, buss, salute, mark of recognition, nod, nods and becks and wreathed smiles, valediction, condolence, courteous, polite, civil, mannerly, urbane, well-behaved, well- mannered, well-bred, well-brought up, good-mannered, polished, civilized, cultivated, refined, gentlemanlike, gallant, on one's good behavior, fine spoken, fair spoken, soft-spoken, honey-mouthed, honey- tongued, oily, bland, obliging, conciliatory, complaisant, complacent, obsequious, ingratiating, winning, gentle, mild, good-humored, cordial, gracious, affable, familiar, neighborly, diplomatic, tactful, politic, artful, courteously, with a good grace, with open arms, with outstretched arms, a bras ouverts, suaviter in modo, in good humor, Int, hail!, welcome!, well met!, ave!, all hail!, good day, good morrow!, Godspeed!, pax vobiscum!, may your shadow never be less!, Tien de plus estimable que la ceremonie, the very pink of courtesy.