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Civilian

/sɪˈvɪljən/

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

Full Dictionary Entry

📖 Definitions of "Civilian"

noun

1
A person following the pursuits of civil life, especially one who is not an active member of the armed forces.
"Three civilians were apprehended by the soldiers and taken away in a military vehicle."
2
A person who does not belong to a particular group or engage in a particular activity.
"The bathroom was for employees only, so no civilians were allowed to use it."
3
One skilled in civil law.
4
A student of civil law at a university or college.

adjective

1
Not related to the military, police or other professions.
"He worked as a civilian journalist for ten years before being employed by the public broadcaster."

🔄 Synonyms of "Civilian"

2 synonyms found via WordNet and Google Books.

Word	Definition
noncombatantnoun	Alternative form of non-combatant. [A non-fighting member of the armed forces.]
civilnoun	(comparable) Behaving in a reasonable or polite manner; avoiding displays of hostility.

↔️ Antonyms of "Civilian"

Words with the opposite meaning.

Word	Definition
militarynoun	(Canada, US) Relating to armed forces such as the army, marines, navy and air force (often as distinguished from civilians or police forces).
mannoun	An adult male human.
servicemannoun	A man who serves in the armed forces.
military personnelnoun	Synonym of soldiery.
military mannoun	someone who serves in the armed forces; a member of a military force

💡 Words with a Similar Meaning to "Civilian"

Found via reverse dictionary — words that share a conceptual meaning.

Word	Definition
civilnoun	(comparable) Behaving in a reasonable or polite manner; avoiding displays of hostility.
noncombatantnoun	Alternative form of non-combatant. [A non-fighting member of the armed forces.]
plainclothes	(usually of a police officer) Wearing ordinary civilian clothes instead of a uniform, in order to avoid detection.
white-collar	Of or pertaining to office work and workers; contrasted with blue-collar.
militarynoun	(Canada, US) Relating to armed forces such as the army, marines, navy and air force (often as distinguished from civilians or police forces).
citynoun	A large settlement, bigger than a town; sometimes with a specific legal definition, depending on the place.
urban	Of, pertaining to, characteristic of, or happening or located in, a city or town; of, pertaining to, or characteristic of life in such a place, especially when contrasted with the countryside.
citizennoun	A legally recognized member of a state, with associated rights and obligations; a person considered in terms of this role.
home	(sports) Relating to the home team (the team at whose venue a game is played).
civic	Of or relating to the citizen, or of good citizenship and its rights and duties.
political	Concerning or relating to politics, the art and process of governing.
commonernoun	A member of the common people who holds no title or rank.
indemnitynoun	Security from damage, loss, or penalty.
third-party	Of or relating to a third party.
preparednessnoun	The state of being prepared.
civilized	Having a highly developed society or culture; belonging to civilization.
calendarnoun	Any system by which time is divided into days, weeks, months, and years.
civilsnoun	(chiefly informal) civil engineering
undercover	Performed or happening in secret.
folk	Of or pertaining to the inhabitants of a land, their culture, tradition, or history.