civil

views updated

civ·il / ˈsivəl/ • adj. 1. of or relating to ordinary citizens and their concerns, as distinct from military or ecclesiastical matters. ∎  (of disorder or conflict) occurring between citizens of the same country. ∎  Law relating to private relations between members of a community; noncriminal. ∎ Law of or relating to aspects the civil (or code) law derived from European systems.2. courteous and polite.3. (of time measurement or a point in time) fixed by custom or law rather than being natural or astronomical: civil twilight starts at sunset.DERIVATIVES: civ·il·ly adv.

More From encyclopedia.com