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Glite Dictionary
civil time

civil time

4.2
Time officially used in a region for everyday activities
  • noun
  • /ˈsɪvəl taɪm/
translation icon : hora civil
  • Farmers often rely on civil time to determine the best times for planting and harvesting crops.

Examples

  • Astronomers must distinguish civil time from solar time in their calculations.

  • The train departs at 3 PM civil time.

  • In most countries, civil time is set by the government and follows time zones.

  • Radio stations often announce the exact civil time at the top of the hour.

  • In London, civil time is based on Greenwich Mean Time.

  • The train schedule is based on civil time, which is established by local authorities for public use.

  • In many countries, civil time is set to adjust for daylight saving changes twice a year.

Synonyms

local time
vscivil time
23 1.6

Official clock time used in a place because of its time zone

is the official clock set for public and legal use regardless of longitude
standard time
vscivil time
2 3.0

Official time used in a region instead of daylight saving time

is the general official clock for public and legal use and can include daylight saving

Surface Forms

civil time singular
civil times plural

Morphology

civil + time

The meaning 'officially adopted time for civil purposes' follows directly from combining 'civil' (relating to the public, citizens, or government) with 'time' (clock/official time). A B1 learner who knows both constituents can reasonably infer this refers to the time used for public/civil affairs (i.e., the official/local time), so the expression is compositional and transparent.

Etymology

Civil time comes from the need for one public clock everyone uses. Long ago each town used the sun to tell the hour, but when trains and schedules made travel and work happen at the same time, governments set a single civil time for daily life. That's why it means the 'official' time people follow in a region.