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 warsthe 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
China and Taiwan have been governed separately since 1949, when the Communist Party rose to power in Beijing following a civil war.
—
ABC News, 15 Mar. 2026
On March 15, 1889, seven American, German and British warships sat in a standoff in the harbor of Apia, Samoa, as a civil war raged.
—Kate Perez, USA Today, 15 Mar. 2026
The film is directed by Janay Boulos and Abd Alkader Habak, a married couple who constructed the documentary from many terabytes of footage shot by Habak in his native Syria during the country’s long and brutal civil war.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 15 Mar. 2026
Syria’s healthcare infrastructure has been severely damaged during its long-running civil war, while Lebanon’s hospitals have struggled with economic collapse and refugee pressures.
—Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for civil war
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ABC News, 15 Mar. 2026
On March 15, 1889, seven American, German and British warships sat in a standoff in the harbor of Apia, Samoa, as a civil war raged.
—Kate Perez, USA Today, 15 Mar. 2026
The film is directed by Janay Boulos and Abd Alkader Habak, a married couple who constructed the documentary from many terabytes of footage shot by Habak in his native Syria during the country’s long and brutal civil war.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 15 Mar. 2026
Syria’s healthcare infrastructure has been severely damaged during its long-running civil war, while Lebanon’s hospitals have struggled with economic collapse and refugee pressures.
—Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for civil war
Cite this Entry
“Civil war.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/civil%20war. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
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