civil war
noun
plural civil wars
: a war between opposing groups of citizens of the same country
a country on the brink of (a) civil war
—often used in the capitalized names of specific warsthe Spanish Civil War
(American/U.S.) Civil War monuments
Note: The American Civil War, fought 1861–1865 between the United States and 11 southern states that had seceded from it, is also commonly known as the U.S. Civil War, or especially in the U.S. as the War Between the States or simply the Civil War.
Examples of civil war in a Sentence
a region that has had many civil wars
The country is on the brink of civil war.
Recent Examples on the Web
Netanyahu's comments at a military graduation led to new concerns over the Israeli presence, and sway, in a swath of southern Syria as Damascus' new leaders attempt to consolidate control after years of civil war.
—
Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 24 Feb. 2025
In the following years, MS-13 began to grow and evolve as more Salvadorans arrived in the US, fleeing the civil war back home.
—Max Saltman, CNN, 22 Feb. 2025
The Republican government fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a civil war with Mao Zedong's communists, who set up the People's Republic of China.
—Joe Cash and Ben Blanchard, USA TODAY, 19 Feb. 2025
They are named for George Polk, a CBS News correspondent who was murdered in 1948 while covering the civil war in Greece.
—The New Yorker, 17 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for civil war
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Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 24 Feb. 2025
In the following years, MS-13 began to grow and evolve as more Salvadorans arrived in the US, fleeing the civil war back home.
—Max Saltman, CNN, 22 Feb. 2025
The Republican government fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a civil war with Mao Zedong's communists, who set up the People's Republic of China.
—Joe Cash and Ben Blanchard, USA TODAY, 19 Feb. 2025
They are named for George Polk, a CBS News correspondent who was murdered in 1948 while covering the civil war in Greece.
—The New Yorker, 17 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for civil war
Cite this Entry
“Civil war.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/civil%20war. Accessed 28 Feb. 2025.
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