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civilian

civilian

574 2.6
A person who is not a soldier or police officer
  • noun
  • /sɪˈvɪljən/
translation icon : civil
  • The humanitarian organization works to provide aid to civilians affected by the conflict.
  • protect civilians
  • innocent civilians
  • civilians and soldiers

Meaning those people, those British civilians, were sacrificed for nothing.

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Examples

  • By 2006, approximately 3,000 civilians were being killed each month.

    Academic text (2011)
  • We have not met a single other civilian American doing the March.

  • We will never know how many civilians died in this process.

  • I also want the police to respect civilians and demand that they do.

  • Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of civilians are estimated to have died in the assault.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • I don't think it makes much sense to hold a civilian population responsible.

  • A few bold civilians stood their ground and fired back at the soldiers.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Russian troops are burning villages and driving out their civilian populations.

  • The town started a daily market at which soldiers and civilians alike hawked their produce and wares.

    Academic text (2011)
  • In many war zones, civilians often find themselves caught in the crossfire between opposing forces.

Synonyms

civ
vscivilian
  • Jargon
1 9.9

A person who is not a member of the military or police

is the neutral, standard term used in formal contexts
civvy
vscivilian
  • Slang
1 9.8

A person who is not in the armed forces

excludes both armed forces members and police rather than only military

Antonyms

61 5.6

A person who takes part in fighting, often a soldier in a war

People who serve in the armed forces, like soldiers and sailors

13 2.6

A man who serves in the military

Compounds

Clothes that people who are not in the military or police wear

Ordinary clothes worn by people who are not soldiers, police, or religious leaders

Everyday clothes that are not uniforms or work clothes

How Brave

hero
1.1
warrior
3.9
fighter
682 2.8
soldier
1.1
civilian
574 2.6

Surface Forms

civilian singular
civilians plural

Morphology

civilian = civil (transparent) = civil + ian

The meaning is directly derived from 'civil' + '-ian', indicating relatedness to civil/non-military life, which a B1 learner can infer.

Etymology

Civilian comes from the old Latin word civis, meaning 'citizen', and is related to civil and city. So a civilian is an ordinary person or 'citizen' who is not a member of the army or the police.