🧑 A civilian 👕 Not military

civvy

1 9.8

A person who is not in the armed forces

noun
/ˈsɪvi/

Slang

: civil

The nonprofit organization provides support for civvies affected by the conflict.

Examples

And while an air strike would solve our problems, we'd rather not blow every civvy in those residences to their beloved Allah.

Conspiracy (2008)
You going Civvy on us?

Air America (1990)
All I know is, we've got five bad guys down, one guard, one civvy.

Extreme Justice (1993)
A German civvy drowned in the moat last night.

The Hessen Affair (2009)
During the event, the civvies mingled with military personnel in a friendly atmosphere.
He was just a civvy trying to cross the street when the commotion started.

Synonyms

civilian

vscivvy

505 3.5

Relating to life and people not in the army or police

is a slang form used informally, often with military associations

civ

vscivvy

Jargon

1 9.9

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

is more slangy and often used in military contexts

Antonyms

military

∞ 2.5

Relating to soldiers or the armed forces

Surface Forms

civvy singular

civvies plural

Morphology

civvy = civilian (transparent) = civ + y

The noun sense 'civvy' is a colloquial clipping of 'civilian', so the formation and meaning are straightforward.

Etymology

Civvy is a slang shortening of civilian, meaning 'a person who is not in the military'. So when soldiers call someone a civvy, they mean a person who does not serve in the armed forces and does not wear a uniform.