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
Avery Schmitz, Aleena Fayaz and Kaila Nichols, CNN, 14 Feb. 2025
According to the Palestinian Authority (PA), several civilians are among the 70 people Israel has killed in its offensive, including 10 children and a pregnant woman and her unborn child.
—Dina Kraft, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Feb. 2025
Nik Popli, TIME, 15 Feb. 2025
The civilian federal workforce , not including military personnel and postal workers, is made up of about 2.4 million people.
—Michelle L. Price, Chicago Tribune, 14 Feb. 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
Once a refuge for civilians fleeing violence in North Darfur’s capital city of al-Fasher and neighboring towns, Zamzam has been under fire since December 1, according to Yale’s Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL) which monitors the conflict, and MSF.
—Avery Schmitz, Aleena Fayaz and Kaila Nichols, CNN, 14 Feb. 2025
According to the Palestinian Authority (PA), several civilians are among the 70 people Israel has killed in its offensive, including 10 children and a pregnant woman and her unborn child.
—Dina Kraft, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Feb. 2025
Adjective
The White House said that 77,000 workers, or around 3% of the civilian workforce, agreed to the buyout.
—Nik Popli, TIME, 15 Feb. 2025
The civilian federal workforce , not including military personnel and postal workers, is made up of about 2.4 million people.
—Michelle L. Price, Chicago Tribune, 14 Feb. 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 20 Feb. 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