civil war

noun

plural civil wars

: a war between opposing groups of citizens of the same country

a country on the brink of (a) civil war

—often used in the capitalized names of specific wars

the Spanish Civil War

(American/U.S.) Civil War monuments

Note: The American Civil War, fought 1861–1865 between the United States and 11 southern states that had seceded from it, is also commonly known as the U.S. Civil War, or especially in the U.S. as the War Between the States or simply the Civil War.

Examples of civil war in a Sentence

a region that has had many civil wars

The country is on the brink of civil war.

Recent Examples on the Web

That turned into a seismic moment in British history, leading to civil war, Charles’ beheading and the temporary abolition of the monarchy. —Pan Pylas, Chicago Tribune, 20 Feb. 2026

After peaceful demonstrations were put down with lethal force, many opponents of the military rule took up arms, and large parts of the country are now enmeshed in civil war. —ABC News, 19 Feb. 2026

The George Polk Awards were established in 1949 to commemorate George Polk, a CBS correspondent murdered in 1948 while covering the Greek civil war. —The Atlantic, 18 Feb. 2026

In 1949, China was nearing the end of its civil war between the Nationalist government and the Communist People’s Liberation Army (PLA). —Anne Ewbank, Popular Science, 18 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1533, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for civil war

• albacore
• alongshore
• antiwar
• anymore
• blastopore
• carnivore
• commodore
• dinosaur
• evermore
• furthermore
• guarantor
• herbivore

Kids Definition

civil war

noun

: a war between opposing groups of citizens of the same country or nation