Spanish Conversation · Level 28
89 words
Spanish word
civil
Pronunciation
IPA/θiˈβil/
Meaning
- adjectivecivil
Example
Los derechos civiles son importantes.
Civil rights are important.
More examples
La sociedad civil organiza una protesta pacífica.
Civil society organizes a peaceful protest.
Core concept
Private legal relationships between people (civil law).
Common phrases
derechos civiles
civil rights
sociedad civil
civil society
Similar words
cívico: Relates to public life, civic duties, and participation in the community.
ciudadano: Applies to an individual citizen or to citizens as a group.
legal: Pertains to law, legal rules, and the legal system.
militar: Relates to the armed forces, soldiers, or military organization.
Definition in Spanish
Que se refiere a cuestiones, derechos o estatus de los ciudadanos y a asuntos de carácter civil más que militar.
Word origin
Derived from Latin civis and civilis, whose Roman-law meaning 'relating to citizens' gave rise to the use of civil for private-law and interpersonal legal matters in the Romance languages.
Usage tips
- In legal use civil contrasts with criminal, so derecho civil covers private-law areas such as contracts, property, and family law rather than criminal offenses.
Other meanings
- nonmilitaryadjective
- civiliannoun
Opposites
- militarmilitaryadjective
Related words
- civilizacióncivilizationnoun
- civilizarcivilizeverb