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
Uganda’s economy had been devastated by a civil war, coups and an HIV epidemic.
—
John Blake, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2025
The civil war’s roots lie in tensions following the 2019 ousting of President Omar al-Bashir.
—Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Come pandemic, or earthquake, or civil war, the first Tuesday after the first Monday in every fourth November is a presidential election.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 12 Sep. 2025
The unknowns will not stop those who see the assassination as an overt act of left-versus-right violence from feeling like the country is on the brink of a civil war.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for civil war
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John Blake, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2025
The civil war’s roots lie in tensions following the 2019 ousting of President Omar al-Bashir.
—Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Come pandemic, or earthquake, or civil war, the first Tuesday after the first Monday in every fourth November is a presidential election.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 12 Sep. 2025
The unknowns will not stop those who see the assassination as an overt act of left-versus-right violence from feeling like the country is on the brink of a civil war.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 12 Sep. 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 16 Sep. 2025.
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