civilly

adverb

civ·​il·​ly ˈsi-və(l)-lē How to pronounce civilly (audio)
1
: in terms of civil rights, law, or matters
civilly dead
2
: in a civil manner : politely

Examples of civilly in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Trump last year filed a defamation suit against ABC News after anchor George Stephanopoulos inaccurately said on-air that Trump had been found civilly liable for raping the writer E. Jean Carroll. Alex Isenstadt, Axios, 24 Mar. 2025 The investigation found that since 2006, at least 17 people have died after being jailed during this process; and a nationwide survey as part of that series found that Mississippi is unique among states in its heavy use of jails for people who are civilly committed. Gwen Dilworth, ProPublica, 23 Jan. 2025 The suit, filed by former D.C. attorney general Karl A. Racine after similar challenges from police and lawmakers, marked the first effort by a government agency to hold individuals and organizations civilly liable for the violence at the Capitol that day. arkansasonline.com, 18 Mar. 2025 Despite having been found not guilty by a jury, he was found civilly liable in a wrongful death lawsuit and ordered to pay damages. Latoya Gayle, People.com, 17 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for civilly

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of civilly was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Civilly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/civilly. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

civilly

adverb
civ·​il·​ly ˈsiv-ə(l)-lē How to pronounce civilly (audio)
: in a civil manner : politely

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