Civil

How to spell civil

5 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce civil

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does civil mean?

1. adjectiveRelating to ordinary citizens, the community, or non-military and non-religious affairs of the state.
2. adjectivePolite and reasonable in a formal, restrained way, even when feelings are strained.

Civil in a sentence

• The dispute was settled in a civil court rather than a criminal one.

• The divorcing couple stayed civil throughout the long negotiation.

• The country slid into civil war after the government collapsed.

• She gave him a civil but distinctly cool reply.

Where does civil come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word traces back to the Latin civilis, meaning 'relating to citizens or to the state', which was built on civis, the ordinary Latin word for a 'citizen' or member of a community. English took it in during the late 1300s by way of Old French, where it carried both the public sense of matters concerning citizens and the polite sense of conduct fit for civilised company. The same civis root quietly underpins a whole family of familiar words, including 'city', 'citizen', 'civic', and 'civilisation', all of which circle around the idea of organised community life. Over time the word branched into two everyday meanings: one about the public sphere of citizens and law, and one about courteous, restrained behaviour. The single 'l' at the end is the spelling trap, since the related 'civilise' and 'civility' tempt writers to double or extend it.

How the word is built

• civ- (from Latin civis: citizen)
• -il (adjective suffix, from -ilis)