civilian
gb/səvˈɪljən/ us/səvˈɪljən/
B1
English
~ 8200
civil, polgári személy, polgári, laikus, nem szakember, civiljogász, civilista
NOUN
B1
1
civil
B1
Usage pattern:
a/the civilian [does something]
The city was evacuated to keep civilians safe from the fighting.
A várost kiürítették, hogy a civileket megóvják a harcoktól.
Several civilians were injured when the bomb exploded near the market.
Több civil megsérült, amikor a bomba a piac közelében felrobbant.
After ten years in the army, he left and became a civilian again.
Aid workers helped civilians who had lost their homes in the conflict.
The law applies to both soldiers and civilians.
Learner examples
Many civilians ran away from the war.
Sok civil elmenekült a háború elől.
The government must protect civilians in this area.
A kormánynak meg kell védenie a civileket ezen a területen.
He worked as a soldier, but now he is a civilian.
Civilians cannot enter this military base.
The bus was full of civilians and a few soldiers.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "civilian" with "civil". "Civilian" is about people who are not in the military or police. "Civil" usually relates to citizens, laws, or polite behavior (civil law, civil rights, civil behavior), not specifically to non-military people.
Meaning
person not in the military
Collocations
ordinary civilians
|protect civilians
|target civilians
|civilians and soldiers
|civilians were killed
Synonyms
noncombatant (More formal; often used specifically about people who are not fighting in a war.)
|
non-military person (More descriptive and less idiomatic; clearly contrasts with military members but is less common as a set term.)
Antonyms
soldier (A basic, common word for a member of an army, the opposite of a civilian in a military context.)
|
service member (A more general term for anyone serving in the armed forces, opposite to a civilian.)
Themes
war
|society
|politics
|law
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A person who is not in the army, navy, air force, police, or other uniformed service.
A person who is not a member of the armed forces, the police, or other similar uniformed services.
B2
2
Usage pattern:
[civilian] [noun]
He found it hard to adjust to civilian life after leaving the navy.
Nehezen tudott alkalmazkodni a civil élethez, miután leszerelt a haditengerészettől.
The officer changed into civilian clothes before going home.
A tiszt civil ruhába öltözött, mielőtt hazament.
The country returned to civilian government after years of military rule.
Aid agencies warned that the bombing threatened the civilian population.
She left the army and took a civilian job in finance.
Learner examples
He had problems in civilian life after many years as a soldier.
Sok katonaként töltött év után gondjai voltak a civil életben.
The police officer went home in civilian clothes.
A rendőr civil ruhában ment haza.
The country moved from military rule to civilian government.
War is very dangerous for the civilian population.
After the war, many soldiers looked for civilian jobs.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say "normal life" or "private life" when they specifically mean life outside the military. "Civilian life" clearly contrasts life in the armed forces with life as an ordinary person.
Meaning
relating to non-military people
Collocations
civilian life
|civilian clothes
|civilian government
|civilian population
|civilian job
|civilian administration
Synonyms
non-military (Very close in meaning; often used for equipment or activities rather than people (e.g. non-military use).)
|
civil (Overlaps in some contexts (civil courts, civil government), but "civil" is broader and also covers non-criminal law and polite behavior.)
Antonyms
military (Describes people, things, and activities belonging to the armed forces, the direct opposite of "civilian" in this sense.)
|
uniformed (Highlights belonging to an official service (police, army, etc.), contrasted with ordinary civilian status.)
Themes
war
|society
|work
|politics
|law
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Talking about people or things that are not in the army, police, or other uniformed groups.
Relating to people, activities, institutions, or things that are not part of the armed forces, the police, or similar services.
NOUN
B2
INFORMAL
3
laikus
B2
Usage pattern:
a/the civilian [in this context]
To a civilian, this medical report is almost impossible to understand.
Egy laikus számára ez az orvosi jelentés szinte érthetetlen.
The engineer tried to explain the problem in terms a civilian could follow.
A mérnök megpróbálta olyan szavakkal elmagyarázni a problémát, amelyeket egy laikus is megért.
For a civilian, you know a surprising amount about criminal law.
The instructions are so technical that no civilian could install the system alone.
To most civilians, their computer systems just seem like magic.
Learner examples
To a civilian, this law text is hard to read.
Egy laikus számára ezt a jogi szöveget nehéz értelmezni.
He explained the computer problem in words a civilian can understand.
Olyan szavakkal magyarázta el a számítógépes problémát, amelyeket egy laikus is megért.
For a civilian, she knows a lot about airplanes.
This report is too technical for a civilian like me.
The doctor spoke slowly so a civilian could follow.
Common mistake:
Learners may think this meaning is always about the military. In this informal use, "civilian" just means someone outside a professional or expert group, not necessarily outside the army or police.
Meaning
non-expert in a field
Collocations
to a civilian
|for a civilian
|explain it to a civilian
|looks strange to a civilian
Synonyms
layperson (Neutral and slightly formal; the standard term for someone who is not an expert in a field.)
|
non-expert (Very clear and neutral, but more technical or descriptive than idiomatic.)
Antonyms
expert (General opposite; someone with special knowledge or skill in the field.)
|
professional (Stresses that the person works in the field and has training, the opposite of an outside civilian in this sense.)
Themes
communication
|work
|education
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A person who is not an expert or professional in a special subject or job.
A person who is not a professional, expert, or insider in a particular specialized field.
NOUN
C2
TECHNICAL
4
civiljogász
C2
civilista
C2
Usage pattern:
a/the civilian [wrote/argued]
As a distinguished civilian, he wrote several treatises on Roman law.
Kiváló civiljogászként több értekezést írt a római jogról.
Medieval civilians played a key role in developing European legal systems.
A középkori civiljogászok kulcsszerepet játszottak az európai jogrendszerek fejlődésében.
The faculty included both canonists and civilians.
Many civilians of the period trained at Italian universities.
The ideas of the great civilians still influence modern legal codes.
Learner examples
The book was written by a famous civilian in the 17th century.
A könyvet egy híres 17. századi civiljogász írta.
Some civilians taught Roman law at the university.
Egyes civiljogászok római jogot tanítottak az egyetemen.
In history, civilians helped build modern civil law.
Students of law sometimes read old texts by civilians.
Civilians and canon lawyers worked in the same schools.
Common mistake:
Learners may wrongly apply this rare technical sense to everyday situations. In modern general English, "civilian" almost always means a non-military person; this legal meaning appears mainly in historical or academic texts.
Meaning
scholar of civil (Roman) law
Collocations
Roman civilian
|medieval civilian
|canonists and civilians
Synonyms
civil-law scholar (Explicit and transparent description; more modern but less idiomatic as a single label.)
Antonyms
common lawyer (A lawyer or scholar of common law, traditionally contrasted with civilians in legal history.)
Themes
law
|academia
|education
Definition
A legal expert who studies or works mainly with civil law based on old Roman law, not common law.
A legal scholar or practitioner who specializes in civil law derived from Roman law, especially in contrast to common law or canon law.
Grammar
Dictionary form
civilian
IPA
GB/səvˈɪljən/
US/səvˈɪljən/
Syllables & stress
ci - vil - ian (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (vil)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: civilian
Noun
- Base: civilian
- Plural: civilians
Word family
Forms
civilians
noun
Core family
Negative and opposite forms
Advanced or less common
civilly
adverb
Expressions
as a civilian
1/ˈæz ə səvˈɪljən/
fixed phrase
in the role of a civilian
In the situation of being a person who is not in the army, police, or similar service.
Examples
- He worked for the army for years, but now, as a civilian, he lives a quieter life.
- As a civilian, she had limited access to the base.
- Soon he will retire and start a new career as a civilian.
civilian casualties
1/səvˈɪljən kˈæʒuəltiz/
fixed phrase
non-military people killed or hurt
Civilians who are killed or injured in a war, attack, or accident.
Examples
- The attack caused heavy civilian casualties in the border town.
- Human rights groups condemned the bombing for the number of civilian casualties.
- The report said efforts were made to limit civilian casualties.
civilian clothes
1/səvˈɪljən klˈoʊðz/
fixed phrase
ordinary clothes, not a uniform
Normal everyday clothes, not a military or police uniform, especially when worn by someone who usually wears a uniform.
Examples
- The officer changed into civilian clothes before going home.
- Soldiers in civilian clothes guarded the entrance without being noticed.
- On weekends, the cadets are allowed to wear civilian clothes.
civilian government
1/səvˈɪljən ɡˈʌvɚnmənt/
fixed phrase
non-military government
A government run by ordinary (non-military) politicians, not by the army.
Examples
- After the coup, the country slowly returned to civilian government.
- International pressure helped restore civilian government after years of military rule.
- The new constitution guarantees that the military must answer to a civilian government.
civilian life
1/səvˈɪljən lˈaɪf/
fixed phrase
life outside the military
Life as an ordinary person, not as a member of the army, navy, air force, or similar service.
Examples
- He struggled to adapt to civilian life after leaving the army.
- Many veterans say civilian life feels very different from military life.
- After the war, she returned to civilian life and became a teacher.
civilian population
1/səvˈɪljən pˌɑpjəlˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
all civilians in an area
All the civilians who live in a place, spoken of as one group.
Examples
- The civilian population was ordered to evacuate the region.
- Sanctions have had a serious impact on the civilian population.
- Aid organizations are trying to support the civilian population caught in the conflict.
return to civilian life
1/ɹɪtˈɚn tə səvˈɪljən lˈaɪf/
fixed phrase
become a civilian again
To stop being in the army or another uniformed service and start living as an ordinary person again.
Examples
- Many soldiers find it hard to return to civilian life.
- After twenty years in the navy, he was nervous about returning to civilian life.
- Support programs help veterans return to civilian life.