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

Syrian President Bashar Assad fled to Russia over the weekend, ending a nearly 14-year struggle to maintain power in his country amid a civil war that turned into a battlefield for international and regional powers. —Greg Wehner, Fox News, 9 Dec. 2024

Assad and his family are known for a brutal dictatorship, which since 2011 has been devastated by a civil war that turned it into a breeding ground for the extremist group ISIS while sparking a refugee crisis that saw millions displaced from their homes. —Alexandra Banner, CNN, 9 Dec. 2024

However, the Arab Spring of 2011 ignited rebellions across the Middle East, including a devastating civil war in Syria. —Greg Myre, NPR, 8 Dec. 2024

For nearly 14 years, the country had been in a civil war, starting as a March 2011 protest against Assad's rule. —Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 8 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1533, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

civil war

noun

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