civil
/θiˈbil/
The Spanish word for civilian is civil.
In Spanish, civil can function as both the adjective 'civilian' and the noun 'civilian' in many contexts, though it is more common to see it as an adjective modifying a noun (e.g., derechos civiles for 'civil rights').
Meaning: non-military person (noun)
Which one should you use?
While 'civil' in English can mean 'polite', in Spanish civil refers specifically to matters of the state or non-military status and does not inherently mean 'polite' (which would be amable or cortés).
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of civil is civiles.
How do you pronounce it?
/θiˈbil/
Did you know?
- In some legal contexts, estatuto civil refers to one's 'civil status', such as being married or single. This use of civil describes a person's social and legal standing rather than their relationship to the military.
- Spanish distinguishes between matrimonio civil (a legal marriage performed by the state) and matrimonio religioso. Here, civil specifically denotes the authority of the state over the church.
- The Spanish word civil is derived from the Latin cīvis, meaning 'citizen'. This makes the word a direct linguistic descendant of the ancient Roman concept of belonging to the 'civitas' or city-state.
Examples in context
- Los disturbios civiles no mostraban indicios de apaciguarse.The civilian unrest is showing no signs of abating.This sentence shows how to use the adjective civil to describe unrest.Tatoeba #7584272 by Eremon, translation #3365448 by patgfisher
- Tom es civil.Tom is a civilian.This sentence uses civil as a noun to state that Tom is a civilian.Tatoeba #5566603 by swyter, translation #2272774 by CK
- Los civiles deben seguir las leyes y reglamentos establecidos.The civilians must adhere to the established laws and regulations.
- La decisión fue tomada por un grupo de civilesThe decision was made by a group of civilians.
- Él es un civil en esta zona.He is a civilian in this area.
Example conversation
Two friends discuss a news report about a conflict zone.
- SofíaEs terrible que haya civiles en la zona de guerra.It is terrible that there are civilians in the war zone.
- MateoSí, es muy peligroso para cualquier civil ahora.Yes, it is very dangerous for any civilian now.
- SofíaEsperemos que puedan evacuar a todos pronto.Let's hope they can evacuate everyone soon.
- MateoTienes razón, la seguridad de los civiles es lo primero.You are right, the safety of civilians is the priority.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “civilian” translations and entries civil, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries civil, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
