Synonyms for civil
ˈsɪv əlciv·il

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:4.0 / 1 vote

1. civil

   A civil person observes such propriety of speech and manner as to avoid being rude; one who is polite (literally polished) observes more than the necessary proprieties, conforming to all that is graceful, becoming, and thoughtful in the intercourse of refined society. A man may be civil with no consideration for others, simply because self-respect forbids him to be rude; but one who is polite has at least some care for the opinions of others, and if polite in the highest and truest sense, which is coming to be the prevailing one, he cares for the comfort and happiness of others in the smallest matters. Civil is a colder and more distant word than polite; courteous is fuller and richer, dealing often with greater matters, and is used only in the good sense. Courtly suggests that which befits a royal court, and is used of external grace and stateliness without reference to the prompting feeling; as, the courtly manners of the ambassador. Genteel refers to an external elegance, which may be showy and superficial, and the word is thus inferior to polite or courteous. Urbane refers to a politeness that is genial and successful in giving others a sense of ease and cheer. Polished refers to external elegancies of speech and manner without reference to spirit or purpose; as, a polished gentleman or a polished scoundrel; cultured refers to a real and high development of mind and soul, of which the external manifestation is the smallest part. Complaisant denotes a disposition to please or favor beyond what politeness would necessarily require.

   Synonyms:
   accomplished, complaisant, courteous, courtly, cultivated, cultured, elegant, genteel, gracious, obliging, polished, polite, urbane, well-behaved, well-bred, well-mannered

   Antonyms:
   awkward, bluff, blunt, boorish, brusk, clownish, coarse, discourteous, ill-behaved, ill-bred, ill-mannered, impertinent, impolite, impudent, insolent, insulting, raw, rude, rustic, uncivil, uncouth, unmannerly, unpolished, untaught, untutored

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. civil

   Synonyms:
   well-mannered, political, courteous, well-bred, complaisant, affable, urbane, polite, obliging, accommodating, respectful

   Antonyms:
   disobliging, unaccommodating, disrespectful, boorish, clownish, churlish, uncivil

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. civiladjective

   applying to ordinary citizens as contrasted with the military

   "civil authorities"

   Synonyms:
   civic, polite

   Antonyms:
   noncivilized, noncivilised, rude, military, uncivil, sidereal

2. civil, politeadjective

   not rude; marked by satisfactory (or especially minimal) adherence to social usages and sufficient but not noteworthy consideration for others

   "even if he didn't like them he should have been civil"- W.S. Maugham

   Synonyms:
   genteel, cultured, civilised, cultivated, polite, civic, civilized

   Antonyms:
   noncivilised, noncivilized, military, rude, uncivil, sidereal

3. civiladjective

   of or occurring within the state or between or among citizens of the state

   "civil affairs"; "civil strife"; "civil disobedience"; "civil branches of government"

   Synonyms:
   civic, polite

   Antonyms:
   military, noncivilised, sidereal, uncivil, noncivilized, rude

4. civil, civicadjective

   of or relating to or befitting citizens as individuals

   "civil rights"; "civil liberty"; "civic duties"; "civic pride"

   Synonyms:
   civic, polite

   Antonyms:
   military, uncivil, noncivilized, sidereal, noncivilised, rude

5. civiladjective

   (of divisions of time) legally recognized in ordinary affairs of life

   "the civil calendar"; "a civil day begins at mean midnight"

   Synonyms:
   civic, polite

   Antonyms:
   rude, uncivil, military, noncivilized, sidereal, noncivilised

6. civiladjective

   of or in a condition of social order

   "civil peoples"

   Synonyms:
   civic, polite

   Antonyms:
   sidereal, military, uncivil, noncivilised, noncivilized, rude

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. civiladjective

   Synonyms:
   civilized, not savage

2. civiladjective

   Synonyms:
   municipal, political, civic, not military

3. civiladjective

   Synonyms:
   intestine, domestic, not foreign

4. civiladjective

   Synonyms:
   courteous, ceremonious, polite, refined, complaisant, urbane, obliging, affable, debonair, easy, gracious, well-bred

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. civiladjective

   Synonyms:
   civic, political, municipal, courteous, obliging, polite

   Antonyms:
   uncivil

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "civil":

   civilian, civilians, calendar, civic, civile, public, marital, citizens, civili, folk, al-ahly, civiles, al-ahli, nongovernmental, civilised, citizen, madani, non-military, eligibility, civilized, people-to-people

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How to use civil in a sentence?

1. Lyndon B. Johnson:

   A rioter with a Molotov cocktail in his hands is not fighting for civil rights any more than a Klansman with a sheet on his back and mask on his face. They are both more or less what the law declares them lawbreakers, destroyers of constitutional rights and liberties and ultimately destroyers of a free America.

2. President Barack Obama:

   Understand, climate change did not cause the conflicts we see around the world, yet what we also know is that severe drought helped to create the instability in Nigeria that was exploited by the terrorist group Boko Haram, it's now believed that drought, crop failures, and high food prices helped fuel the early unrest in Syria, which descended into civil war in the heart of the Middle East.

3. Haydn Long:

   What we saw a few years back, when there was civil unrest, was that people still traveled, they just perhaps stayed in Bangkok for one night instead of two or simply stayed away from those areas most affected.

4. Zachary Abuza:

   It is never a good thing when a state tries to legislate morality, the new code puts civil liberties at risk and gives the state powerful tools to punish ideological, moral and political offenses.

5. Hun Sen:

   Business people were threatened that there would be a tribunal to prosecute them, civil war will break out, it must break out.