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
There was but brief passive acknowledgment by either lawmaker of the civil war playing out among Democrats over Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) breaking with House Democrats to help Republicans pass a stopgap funding bill and avert a shutdown.
—
Ramsey Touchberry, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 20 Mar. 2025
Syria's new leaders are trying to consolidate control over territory that was divided into unofficial mini-states during nearly 14 years of civil war, and to rebuild the economy and infrastructure.
—arkansasonline.com, 18 Mar. 2025
The ongoing clashes have prompted reports of around 1,400 civilians killed, mostly Alawites, across the provinces of Latakia and Tartus, as well as the outskirts of Hama and Homs, in some of the worst sectarian bloodshed of the entire civil war.
—Mark Davis, Newsweek, 14 Mar. 2025
The Assads’ reign of terror only ended after 12 years of brutal civil war.
—Joe Wright, The Conversation, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for civil war
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Ramsey Touchberry, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 20 Mar. 2025
Syria's new leaders are trying to consolidate control over territory that was divided into unofficial mini-states during nearly 14 years of civil war, and to rebuild the economy and infrastructure.
—arkansasonline.com, 18 Mar. 2025
The ongoing clashes have prompted reports of around 1,400 civilians killed, mostly Alawites, across the provinces of Latakia and Tartus, as well as the outskirts of Hama and Homs, in some of the worst sectarian bloodshed of the entire civil war.
—Mark Davis, Newsweek, 14 Mar. 2025
The Assads’ reign of terror only ended after 12 years of brutal civil war.
—Joe Wright, The Conversation, 11 Mar. 2025
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 24 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share