civies

9.3

Clothes people wear when they are not in uniform

noun
/ˈsɪviːz/

Slang

: ropa de civil

After weeks in the field, the soldiers were happy to change into their civies.

Examples

He kept a set of civies in his locker for when he was off duty.
You could always tell who just got leave by the fresh look of their civies.
He prefers to wear civies on weekends.
What are your favorite civies for casual outings?
After weeks in uniform, the soldiers were relieved to change into their civies and relax.
He always felt more comfortable in civies when he wasn’t on duty as a soldier.
Many veterans enjoy dressing in civies when they attend social gatherings.

Synonyms

civilian clothing

vscivies

1 2.0

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

focuses mainly on contrast with military uniform rather than all uniformed groups

civilian dress

vscivies

1 3.6

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

is used mainly to mark difference from military uniform rather than clergy

civvies

vscivies

Slang

9.2

Clothes that are not a uniform, like jeans and a T-shirt

is a neutral term rather than an informal label

civilian garb

vscivies

4.2

Everyday clothes that are not uniforms or work clothes

focuses on clothes for ordinary people contrasted with military uniform only

How Formal

formal

1 3.5

smartish outfit

5.6

civies

Slang

9.3

Surface Forms

civies singular

civies plural

Morphology

civies = civvy (semi-transparent) = civvy + s

Formed from the clipped slang 'civvy' plus plural -s; the link to 'civilian' is clear but the specialized slang meaning 'civilian clothes' is not fully predictable for all learners.

Etymology

Civies is a casual short form of civilian and means the clothes you wear when you are not in uniform. Think 'not military', so civies are 'civilian clothes'.