Civilian
/sɪˈvɪliən/
nounBeginnerVery CommonGeneral
Meaning
Question
Definitions
1
A person who is not a member of the armed forces or the police.
/sɪˈvɪliən/
nounneutralBeginner
General
A person not in the military or police force.
Many civilians were injured in the bombing.
💡 Simply: A civilian is just a regular person, not a soldier or police officer. Like your mom, dad, or teacher!
👶 For kids: A grown-up who doesn't wear a uniform or fight battles.
More Examples
2
The army provided aid to the affected civilians.
How It's Used
Military
"The soldiers assisted the civilians after the disaster."
Law Enforcement
"Police protected the civilians during the protest."
From Old French *civil, from Latin civilis "of or relating to citizens; civic, polite, civilized," from civis "citizen."
The term's usage has expanded over time, now encompassing a wider range of non-military roles.
Memory tip
Think 'civil' - a civilian is a citizen behaving civilly, not engaged in warfare.
Practice
Base: civil
civilaianciviliincivillain
Usage
60%Spoken
40%Written