French word

civil

Pronunciation

IPA/sivil/

Meaning

  • adjectivecivilian

Example

Il travaille dans le secteur civil.

He works in the civilian sector.

Illustration for civil (civilian)

More examples

Une personne civile a été évacuée.

A civilian was evacuated.

Core concept

A person, workplace, or legal matter belongs to the civilian and private-law side rather than the military or public side.

Common phrases

  • personne civile

    civilian

  • société civile

    civil society

Similar words

privé: Relating to individuals or privately owned businesses and their activities or spaces.
public: Relating to government institutions or society as a whole.
militaire: Relating to the armed forces, military service, or military organizations.
administratif: Relating to government offices, procedures, or administration.

Definition in French

Qui concerne le secteur privé, les personnes non militaires ou les affaires relevant du droit civil, par opposition au domaine militaire ou public.

Word origin

French civil comes from Latin civilis, meaning 'of citizens', which derives from civis, 'citizen', through Old French.

Usage tips

  • In French, civil usually means civilian, private-sector, or civil-law rather than English 'polite'; the intended sense comes from the noun it modifies.

Other meanings

  • civiladjective

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word