CIVILIAN

civilian

(adjective) associated with civil life or performed by persons who are not active members of the military; “civilian clothing”; “civilian life”

civilian

(noun) a nonmilitary citizen

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

civilian (plural civilians)

A person following the pursuits of civil life, especially one who is not an active member of the armed forces.

(informal) A person who does not belong to a particular group or engage in a particular activity.

One skilled in civil law.

A student of civil law at a university or college.

Adjective

civilian (not comparable)

Not related to the military, police or other professions.

Source: Wiktionary


Ci*vil"ian, n. Etym: [From Civil]

1. One skilled in the civil law. Ancient civilians and writers upon government. Swift.

2. A student of the civil law at a university or college. R. Graves.

3. One whose pursuits are those of civil life, not military or clerical.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

4 April 2025

GUILLOTINE

(verb) kill by cutting the head off with a guillotine; “The French guillotined many Vietnamese while they occupied the country”


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Coffee Trivia

The expression “coffee break” was first attested in 1952 in glossy magazine advertisements by the Pan-American Coffee Bureau.

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