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

Tice, who has had his work published by The Washington Post, McClatchy newspapers and others, disappeared at a checkpoint in a contested area west of Damascus as the Syrian civil war intensified. —Abby Sewell and Matthew Lee The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 21 Dec. 2024

Turkey, Israel, Qatar, and the United States all have their own reasons to want a stable, inclusive new government in Damascus, focused on rebuilding Syria from the horrors of the old regime and the destruction caused by years of civil war. —Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 19 Dec. 2024

Young men scampered onto the truck, hoping to glimpse Saleh al-Ras, an enforcer for former Syrian President Bashar Assad, who was ousted by rebels this month after 13 years of civil war. —Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2024

After 13 years of civil war, al-Jolani stunningly overthrew the Assad regime. —Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 16 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