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

What To Know Lebanon's nuanced internal politics are impacted by shifting factions and alliances largely consisting of leaders who participated in the country's devastating 15-year civil war that ended in 1990, making presidential elections difficult. —Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 9 Jan. 2025

This interventionism bred instability and triggered mass migration from Africa and the Middle East to Europe, especially during the Syrian civil war in the 2010s. —Matias Spektor, Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025

Treating Fighters to Survive: Trapped in Sudan’s civil war, a young woman chose to work in a clinic on the front line. —Andrew Higgins, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2025

The Syrian ruler was quickly toppled in a surprise offensive this month by opposition forces, who took back the country with little resistance after more than a decade of civil war. —Jane Arraf, NPR, 31 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